Genevieve Marie Cooke

Genevieve Marie Cooke was born on January 22, 1922, in Trenton, Missouri, the daughter of Vincent and Albina Lowrey. Gen and her brother, Frank, were raised in Duluth, Minnesota. In 1938, after the accidental death of their father, they moved with their mother to Los Angeles, California to be near family. Gen graduated from Sacred Heart High School, and subsequently earned a Business Degree from Woodbury College. As a young adult, Gen loved dancing to Big Band music at the Hollywood Palladium. She was active in the Catholic Kolping Society, as well as the Newman Club. During World War II, Gen belonged to the Desert Battalion, a service organization that supported troops during Desert Training. While working for Mobil Oil Corporation in Los Angeles, Gen met the love of her life, Douglas Cooke. They married in 1952, and settled in Westchester, in what would become the family home for the next 63 years. Gen and Douglas had five children; Susan, Paul, Mary, Stephen and Elizabeth. Douglas tragically passed away in 1966, and Gen went back to work to support her children. After many years serving as a highly esteemed secretary, Gen retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District. Gen was known by many as “Grandma Cooke”, not just by her 22 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Gen’s life was guided by a devotion to the Catholic Faith. She was a member of the Saint Jerome parish for over 60 years, where she participated in Catholic Daughters, and served the church in many capacities. Genevieve’s family gave her joy, love and purpose, and continued to be the most important thing in her life. Her sense of humor, selfless, and unconditional love will always be admired and remembered by those who knew her. An incredible mother and grandmother, Genevieve will live on in our hearts, where she planted her love, her faith and her indomitable spirit in us all.