Terri Ann Schroeder

Born in Canyon, Texas to Margaret and Lou Doyle, Terri was the first of her four siblings: Kathy, her younger sister, and Lynn and Lee, the youngest twin siblings. From an early age, Terri helped take care of her siblings, and she was extremely close with them and her father, whom she deeply admired. She was passionate about school, playing sports, and spending time outdoors during her childhood. She and her first husband Robert Allen Cooke welcomed Margaret Shannon Cooke, her first and only daughter, into the world on August 18th, 1963. Though she was young and often on her own, Terri managed to raise her beautiful Shannon to be a successful, driven, incredible daughter.

Terri had two more children following Shannon: Timothy Davenport, born in 1968, and Derek Robbins, born in 1978. She worked incredibly hard to ensure the best lives she could for all her children and instilled in them the morals she lived by every day: to be kind, diplomatic, and to find humor in tough situations. She worked as a food and beverage manager for the Department of Defense in Maryland and Virginia, where she was consistently reliable and made valuable connections with her coworkers. During most of her adult life, she lived close to Shannon; the two moved to Minnesota, Maryland, and eventually settled back in Texas together.

After arriving back in Texas in 2003, Terri was a retired DoD civilian and helped Shannon raise her son Connor Tipton (CJ) who was born in 2001 and her daughter Finley Tipton who was born in 2004. Terri wore the title of “grandma” with the greatest pride. She played an invaluable role in helping Shannon raise “the children of the corn” as she called them. Every other weekend, Terri spent a night alone with each sibling, dubbed “grandma-CJ/Finley” night, where she would buy them all their favorite groceries and fast food, watch sports, movies, and their favorite shows together, and sit through any performance they wanted to put on for her.

After medical complications in 2017, Terri moved in with Shannon and her kids in Coppell and lived the rest of her life in the comfort of Shannon’s home watching her grandchildren CJ and Finley complete high school and head off to college. In 2020, Shannon’s partner, Jouni moved into the house and gave her the nickname “mama bear.” Terri was overjoyed to remain a large part of her daughter and grandchildren’s lives. Though her health was worsening, she never hesitated to join the family for game night or sit with her grandchildren when they needed her. After CJ and Finley had left for college, she remained in close contact with both, calling and texting often to tell them how proud she was.

Terri was able to thoroughly enjoy the 2023 holiday season, reunited with her sons Derek and Tim who joined Shannon, CJ, Finley, and Jouni for a full family Christmas gathering. She began home hospice care on January 6, and passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of January 30th. She spent her last days with her family at home, as she had always wanted.

Terri had the kindest soul. Anyone lucky enough to see her smile, hear her laugh, or receive one of her hugs is better from it. She was extremely funny; even in her final moments, her facial expressions could make anyone around her laugh. One of her last comments to her daughter Shannon was that her Chicken and Dumplings were not that good. She was intelligent and quick-witted beyond comparison. She loved fiercely and unconditionally.

Terri was predeceased by her siblings Kathy, Lynn, Lee, and her parents (Lou and Margaret Doyle). She is survived by Shannon, Derek, Tim, CJ, and Finley. The family requests that any donations be made to The Innocence Project, an organization Terri felt strongly about.

The Innocence Project: https://innocencetexas.org/donate/