Fayerty Creagan Cokeley

Fayerty Creagan Cokeley passed away peacefully on August 19, 2025, at her home in Ithaca, N.Y., after a ten-year battle with metastatic breast cancer. Fay lived her 49 years with creative energy, a strong spirit, and a fierce devotion to those lucky enough to be in her life. While Fay grew up in Ithaca, her love of adventure and travel took her to one of her favorite places, New York City, after turning 18. While living in NYC, Fay earned a B.A. from Hunter College, and then five years later, moved to San Diego where she worked in hospitality and earned a M.A. from National University. She lived up and down the southern California coast for the next ten years, turning her talents into careers, working in customer relations, home design, and yoga instruction. In 2006, Fay became a mom, something she would later say is what brought her the most happiness in this life, when her son Jackson (Jack) was born. With a re-orientation of priorities, Fay moved back to Ithaca to be closer to family and to raise Jack while working in real estate. She was a trusted and successful member of the Warren Real Estate team, where many of her clients became admirers and friends.

Fay is remembered for her connection to the natural world, where she found inspiration and peace. In the spring, she loved photographing flowers, later rendering them into stunning watercolor paintings and digital collections. While in the summer she’d spend evenings at Lake Cayuga, which were marked by her loving ritual of building gravity-defying cairns, each stone was a testament to her own balance and calm beauty. She loved walking along the ocean collecting seashells for future projects. Her spirited connection to the realm of natural wonders extended into forests and gardens, where she found magic in the smallest details. Fay expressed this curiosity and love of nature through the artistic displays she created in her expertly curated home. Shells, crystals, stones, flowers, and strings of shining stars created an incredibly cozy and welcoming home for her, her son, and their loved ones. Fay’s home was also the place Jack and his friends gathered on a regular basis. She loved to hear their stories and catch up on the latest news, while offering her own life lessons and advice.

Fayerty was an avid hockey mom during Jack’s twelve years playing hockey, culminating in four years on the Ithaca High School varsity team. She attended every game and used her organizational genius to support each of Jack’s teams. Fay also loved traveling, especially with Jack. A favorite memory is a trip to the Dolomites in Italy where they climbed a mountain solely to get a cup of coffee. They took numerous memorable trips to Mexico together near and around Puerto Vallarta. One of Faye’s favorite state-side destinations was Jackson, N.H., as she made annual trips to be with the Garrison family. She treasured her time there surrounded by family, drinking morning lattes while gazing out at the White Mountains.

Fay is survived by her son Jackson Creagan Cokeley, father Ross Creagan, brother Caleb Creagan (Erin Creagan), stepmother Colleen Ledley, her sisters Maeve Creagan and Mollie Creagan, sisters Lucy Garrison, Lydia Garrison and brother Ira Garrison and her canine companion Maya Coconut. During Fay’s last few weeks, she felt such love and comfort in being at home, showered in flowers, laughter, and gratitude. As throughout her life, she was surrounded by the constant support of her immediate family, her mother’s sister Anne Garrison and the extended Garrison family, and her wonderful network of new and long-time friends, and her closest friend, and honorary sister Nancy Toffolo. She was predeceased by her mother, Gay Garrison, who welcomed her into her next phase of life as a guardian angel.

A memorial ceremony to commemorate Faye’s life will be held in the spring once the flowers bloom. In place of flowers, you may donate in Fay and Jackson’s name to the Gofundme, Support Fay's Legacy and Jack's Future.