Obituary of Patricia Cooke

Patricia Jane Cooke passed into the presence of our Lord on Wednesday February 5, 2014. She was 94 years old. Born to Charles and Ruth Cooke at Oakland Children's hospital on April 27th 1919, she spent her early years growing up in the community of Thousand Oaks just North of Berkeley, across the street from Thousand Oaks Elementary School where she attended and eventually taught kindergarten in the room where she went to kindergarten. After attending Garfield Junior High and the Berkeley high, she went to the University of California at Berkeley receiving her degree in Language Arts. Upon graduation, she obtained her teaching credentials and became a kindergarten teacher at Thousand Oaks Elementary School. During the early 1940's, as the war effort was in full swing, many mothers who worked at the local naval shipyards were sending their children to school at age four and a half, Ms. Cooke, or the teacher in pink as she became known, was averaging 50 students in her morning class and 40 students in the afternoon class. She often mentioned that on rainy days, a good deal of her time was spent getting everyone's raincoats and goulashes off and then back on again to the right student. In the 1960,s and 1970's, many of her former students requested that their children be in her class. Patricia's teaching carrier was a labor of love and she was devoted to her students. Her tenure spanned 34 years, and after retiring she taught Sunday school at thousand oaks Baptist Church for 10 years. She also had a great love for birds throughout her life, of which she had many, especially her favorite, the Rosie Bourke Parakeets. Patricia touched many lives during her time, both of her students and family and friends. Holidays were especially important to her as it meant a time of celebration with those who she loved and those who loved her. Special thanks goes out to the Administration and Staff of Kindred Healthcare Center in Santa Cruz for their special care of her for the past 5 years.