A.B. & J. Noyes Foundation

Family News

Shirley Noyes “Cosy” Lathrop

Lathrop, Shirley Noyes, ‘Cosy’, died in her sleep at her home in Delray Beach, FL on March 2, 2009, at the age of 89. Born in Montclair, New Jersey, to Jansen Noyes and Agnes Blancke Noyes, Cosy graduated from The Ethel Walker School in 1937. In 1944, she married Marcus Brown Hall, Jr., and they raised three daughters.

Cosy was born into the world of horses. Her father, Jansen Noyes, raised them, and she rode from a very early age.

During her life, Cosy actively competed in showing, foxhunting, three day eventing and driving. While living in Stowe, Vt, she founded The Green Mountain Hounds, the first recognized hunt in Northern Vt. When she moved to North Carolina and started Longleaf Pine Farm, she organized and ran the Longleaf Pine Horse Trials. Over 30 years later, this event is still run every April and is a highlight on eventers’ calendars.

As someone who liked to give back to the sport which had given her so much, she was one of the Founding members of The Carolina Horse Park and was on its Board of Directors. For several decades, she also sponsored a series of young event riders, one of whom made it on to the US Eventing Team and represented our country abroad.

As her competition career was ending, Cosy turned her energy to breeding Thoroughbred racehorses. As in all her horse endeavors, she was successful. One of her last homebreds, Diabolical, was her best. He was sold to Sheik Mohammed of Dubai, and has, thus far, won over a million dollars.

In addition to her horses, Cosy Lathrop was an avid golfer and bridge player. She won many golf tournaments and was a member of The U.S. Senior Women’s Golf Association. She played duplicate bridge regularly and won many master points.

Family was very important to Cosy. She is survived by her three daughters, Sara Fargo of Kentfield, CA, Deborah Coburn of San Rafael, CA, and Pamela Mahony of Southern Pines, NC, her three grandsons, Kendall Fargo, Greg Fargo and Nick Fargo, two great-grandchildren, Hayden Fargo and Keaton Fargo, and sons-in-law, Mike Fargo and Lester Foote all of Marin County, CA. Her family also includes her step-children, Dudley Babcock, Judy McConnell and Louise Scott, children of her late husband, George Babcock.

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