Patricia Doherty Cook

Pat was raised and educated in Casper, attending grade school at St. Anthony's Catholic School and continuing at Natrona County High School. Following high school, she entered into nursing school at St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital in Denver, Colorado. It was at St. Joe's that she developed a lifelong love for and dedication to nursing, and caring for others.

Pat met the love of her life, Everett Cook, while working in Denver. Those were the war years, and one of Everett's friends had asked him to "take care of his girlfriend" while he was gone. And, he did just that for the next 60 years. They were married on December 26, 1948, at the Women's Club in Casper. In those days, you were not allowed to marry a non-Catholic in the church. However, they renewed their vows on their 50th wedding anniversary at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, following Everett's conversion to the Catholic faith.

Pat and Everett began their marriage in Atlanta, Georgia, where Everett was completing his degree at Georgia Tech. They then moved back to Denver, Colorado, where they started their young family. Everett's work took them to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a year and Fairfield, Connecticut, for seven years. But, like the saying goes, they were "not born in Texas, but got there as fast as they could!" They moved to Houston in 1961.

Pat was dedicated to her family and to her Catholic faith. She was a leader in every sense of the word. After her children were grown, she became active in various Catholic organizations. She was a member of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women for over 39 years. During those years, she worked hard in the shop as a volunteer helping to enhance sales that helped needy children in the greater Houston area. She was elected President of Charity Guild in 1996. In 2007, Pat received the highest award granted to a member, the Emeritus Membership. She also dedicated hours and hours of hard work to the St. Cecilia's Women's Club. She chaired numerous committees over the years and served as President for two consecutive years. The Newman Circle was another Catholic women's club that was near and dear to Pat - she served as their president from 2006-2008. Pat led by example and touched the lives of everyone she met. Pat was also an avid golfer at Lakeside Country Club where she and Everett were members for over 30 years.

Pat, also known as Granpat, loved her family dearly and leaves behind her sons Jim Cook and wife Pauline, John Cook and wife M.E., and her daughter Betsy Nettles and her husband Charlie, grandchildren Heather Birch, Maile Colter, Stacy Chapman, Katie Lyons, Charlie Nettles, Paige Montgomery, Patrick and Meagan Cook and nine great grandchildren, sisters Nancy McIntosh and Cec Gray, sister-in-law Emily Doherty, and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Everett Cook, her parents Jim and Elizabeth Doherty, in-laws Everett and Alice Cook, her brother, Dan Doherty, and her sister, Mary Rhodes.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations to be made to The Smile Train. Pat had a soft spot in her heart for children born with a cleft palate. She contributed generously to this very special charity that provides cleft repair surgery for children in need around the world and whose motto is "Changing the World One Smile at a Time!" Their address is PO Box 96231, Washington, D.C., 20090, or please visit smiletrain.org.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church 11720 Joan of Arc Drive, Houston, TX 77024. Private internment will be at a later date.