Maxine Audrey Pridell

Maxine Audrey Cooper Pridell, 96, passed away on June 29, 2026, at her home in Copenhagen, surrounded by her loving daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.

She was born October 30, 1929 in the Town of Lawrence, St.Lawrence County to Walter Eugene Cooper and Catherine E. Mc Kee Cooper. Her family relocated to Copenhagen two years after her birth.

Maxine married Francis Thomas Pridell on March 1, 1949 and had three children, Gregory, Cynthia, and Sandra. She lived a life of being a devoted wife and mother. Maxine was a lifelong member of Grace Episcopal Church, Copenhagen. She loved her flower gardens and making arrangements for the alter of her beloved church. She was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and knit hats for cancer patients. Her expertise with the computer kept her in contact with family and friends throughout the U.S.

After her husband’s death on July 4, 1999, she became a “snowbird” in Lady Lake, Florida where she enjoyed line dancing, playing cards, games and socializing with her Florida friends and family. In the summer she enjoyed the cottage at Sand Bay on the St. Lawrence River.

On February 2, 2007, Maxine “Did a Dorothy” by surviving a tornado. While sitting in her living room chair, she was literally lifted up in the air, as her home split in two and she landed in her neighbor’s driveway under debris. When searchers saw her place, they remarked that Maxine couldn’t have survived, but she yelled out, “I am over here wiggling my feet”. She remembered every detail and enjoyed sharing her 15 minutes of fame over the years.

She became the matriarch for both the Cooper and Pridell families. Her incredible memory allowed her to answer any questions family members would have about their history. In a recent article in the Lowville Journal, she recalled her first bus ride to Copenhagen Central School in 1937 in great detail. She is one of the last of the generation who remembered what it was like to endure the depression, World War II and the excitement of the Baby Boomer era. Until the end she maintained a delightful sense of humor.

She is survived by her loving daughters, Cynthia Pridell of Copenhagen and Sandee Vary (Roger) of Lowville her beloved grandchildren, Olivia Boucher (Jake), Jacob Vogt of Lowville, and Zachary Vogt (Charity) of North Carolina. Also, four great- grandchildren: Ashanti Vogt Jackson (Thomas), Lydia Boucher, Tristan Vogt and Lochlyn Boucher; a brother-in-law, Philip Chandler; and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was loved by many Pridell and Cooper nieces and nephews across the country.

Maxine was pre-deceased by her husband Francis T. Pridell, her son Gregory T. Pridell, and siblings, Doris Stevenson (Steve), Dorothy Cooper, Ronald Cooper, Robert Cooper (Sally), Keitha Baxa (Milton), Laura Horn, and Harland Cooper (Barb). Her Pridell in-laws, Clinton Pridell, Alice and Fred Carter, Virginia Chandler, and Jack and Kay Pridell.

A celebration of life and interment at Riverside Cemetery will be in the fall.

Donations in Maxine’s memory can be made to: Riverside Cemetery, c/o Sandy Jones, PO Box 273, Copenhagen,13626.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Lundy Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Inc., 500 State Street, Carthage, NY 13619. To leave a message of sympathy for Maxine’s family, please visit www.lundyfuneralhome.com and sign the tribute wall.