She battled a long illness with the same grace and strength she showed throughout her life.
Karyll was born on April 8th, 1965, to Hector Edwards and Shirley Barr Edwards in Dixon, IL. After graduating from Dixon High School in 1984, she went on to study nursing at Sauk Valley Community College.
After earning her LPN license, she spent 21 years as a nurse at the Dixon Correctional Center. She later continued to share her knowledge and leadership skills at O’Connell’s Jellystone Park, where she worked for seven years and advanced from Patrol Supervisor to Assistant General Manager while gaining invaluable outdoor experience. Her nursing career also took her to nursing homes and hospitals in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida.
Karyll was an extremely hard worker and thoroughly loved being a nana. As her sons grew up, she could always be found in the stands cheering them on at their sporting events. Later, her granddaughters, whom she lovingly referred to as her “Grand-Glams”, and grandson became the center of her attention as she proudly supported them at dance recitals, baseball games, and wrestling meets.
She was a dedicated member of The Worship Center and remained steadfast in her faith after moving to Florida in 2023, faithfully attending services through Facebook Live on Sundays and House of Prayer by Zoom each Monday.
Karyll was preceded in death by her mother, Shirley Barr, brother, Keith Edwards, and sister, Maureen Edwards.
She is survived by her sons, Larry (Adrienne) Cook and Cullen (Jasmin Siddiqui) Cook of Dixon, IL., Grandchildren, Layla Cook, Cooper Heath, Aaliyah Cook, Bless Cook, and True Cook, all of Dixon, IL, Father Hector Edwards of Clermont, FL, sisters Kathleen (Gary) Wedekind and Karen Lonkert of Dixon, IL, brother Everton Edwards of May Pen, Jamaica, nephews James Reid, Justin Ashford, Lukas Wedekind, niece Tianna Lonkert, and great nephew Brayden Woods.
A Celebration of Life will be held at The Worship Center on Sunday, May 31st, 2026, at 4:00 pm. The visitation will take place prior to the service from 2:00 pm to 3:45 pm. A private burial will be on Monday, June 1st, 2026.
A memorial has been established for the Cook families.
