Please Support Paula “Cookie” Dreksler After the Sudden Loss of Her Husband Jim

When I first moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, I didn’t know anyone locally. I had moved here sight unseen at the recommendation of a friend. While I had wonderful friends in other parts of Southwest Florida about an hour away, I knew almost no one here yet.

That changed one evening when I attended a Christmas party and met Paula “Cookie” Dreksler and her husband Jim. Meeting them turned out to be one of the greatest Christmas gifts of my life.

Cookie has a beautiful way of connecting with people. She truly never meets a stranger. By the time you arrive somewhere to meet her, she has often already made several new friends and invited them to join the table. Before long, they become family — because that’s simply who Cookie and Jim are.

What made that Christmas party meeting even more special was discovering that years earlier Cookie, Jim, and I had lived only about a mile from one another on Chicago’s North Shore. We’ve often laughed that our paths may very well have crossed decades earlier at a beloved local spot many of us knew well — the Railroad Inn in Glenview — long before we could have imagined we would meet again in Florida.

That night, over laughter and a little Frangelico, a friendship began that soon had us jokingly referring to ourselves as “sisters from another mister,” which is exactly what we have so blessedly become.

Cookie and Jim quickly became more than friends to me — they became family.

Their love story began when they were teenagers in Chicago. Cookie and Jim met when she was about fifteen years old, and from that moment forward they were rarely apart. They built a life together that spanned decades, standing by one another through everything life brought their way including the tragic loss of their 2 sons during the pandemic lockdown. Anyone who knew them could see how deeply devoted they were, and their love for one another truly knew no bounds.

Jim proudly served his country as a United States Marine.

Lance Corporal James Dreksler served with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines during the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1971. Like many Marines of that era, the bonds he formed with the men he served beside never faded. Jim often referred to them as his “brothers in arms,” and he remained close with many of them throughout his life, attending reunions and honoring the shared experiences that shaped them all.

Like many Vietnam veterans, Jim later faced serious health consequences from exposure to Agent Orange during his service. Over time he developed lung disease related to that exposure.

Recently, Jim suddenly began struggling to breathe — something that had never happened before. Despite calling 911, he was unable to recover. The breathing crisis ultimately caused his heart to stop, and Cookie lost the love of her life.

In recent years, Cookie has also endured the heartbreaking loss of two of her sons. Through all of that grief, Jim remained her constant partner, protector, and source of strength.

For many years Jim’s VA disability benefits helped support their household. Because of his service-related illness, he was unable to obtain life insurance. When Jim passed away, those benefits stopped immediately.

Cookie has applied for survivor benefits through both the VA and Social Security, but these processes can take several months. In the meantime, she is facing a sudden financial gap while grieving the man she has loved since she was a teenager.

Those who know Cookie and Jim know the kind of people they are. Their home was often filled with friends during the holidays, hosting large Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings where no one was ever allowed to feel alone. They were the people who showed up for others in difficult moments and made everyone around them feel welcomed, cared for, and part of the family.

That generosity extended far beyond their home. Years ago, Cookie quietly donated one of her kidneys to help save the life of someone she barely knew — simply because she knew that family needed help.

Acts of kindness like that are simply part of who Cookie has always been.

Now it is our turn to show up for Cookie.

This fundraiser is intended to help Cookie cover basic living expenses while she waits for the VA and Social Security survivor benefits to be processed.

Any donation, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference during this incredibly difficult time.

If you are unable to donate, simply sharing this fundraiser would mean so much.

Thank you for helping support someone who has spent so many years caring for others. ♥️

— Organized by Lesley, a grateful friend welcomed into Cookie and Jim’s lives when she needed them most.