Kit (Ida) Pearl Cook

Kit was predeceased by her parents John and Pearl, her brothers Mert, Harvey and Don as well as her sister-in-law, Pat. She is survived by her sister Darlene and brother-in-law Larry, sons Jim (Dawn), Don (Jill) and Rob, step daughters Cheryl, Laura and Jo-Ann (Matt), step son Paul (Dawn), grandchildren Brad (Jannette), Chris (Sandy), Darby (Travis), Brennan (Sheena), nephews Robert (Heidi) and Richard (Laurel), great-nieces and nephews, great grandchildren, cousins, and many dear friends, especially, Lissa.

Kit was born on the farm in southern Manitoba. She was very close to her Dad and told stories of him pampering his little girl, tucking her into the cutter for the trip to school, saving her from a mouse running up her leg, holding her during thunderstorms and racing to the hospital with her when she cut her arm. She was a teenager when her sister was born and she considered Darlene her own, naming her and taking care of her. She was very close to Darlene and considered Larry, Darlene’s husband, as her brother.

When Kit was 16, she married Denny Cook in Brandon. Jim joined them five years later followed by the other two boys. Their married life was characterized by moves from one end of Canada to the other, then to Iraq, Bahrain, Spain, Cyprus, California and other distal destinations. She was alone with her boys most of the time in many of these places. She made the most of these experiences by being her, applying the Golden Rule, understanding that people were the same everywhere. As a result of this exposure to other cultures, Kit had a well-developed tolerance for other points of view. They were married for 37 years before they parted ways.

Kit moved to Oak Bay and became a nanny to support herself. She met Lissa in Oak Bay while both were caring for children. They developed a tight friendship characterized by twice daily calls, trips to Hawaii and Chemainus and remained very close friends and members of the “Nanny Mafia” to the end.

Then she met Paul, a B. C. Hydro employee, who checked the meter at her employers home and then showed up at her local grocery store a few times. He would not take no for an answer and became the love of Kit’s life. They lived in Victoria on the edge of Oak Bay completing each other’s life for 25 years. She and Paul travelled around greater Victoria daily, on the Clipper to Seattle, to Oregon, and many summers to reunions in Alberta to visit family and friends.

When she was once again alone, she thrived independently in a condo and later in Rose Manor retirement home, making friends, winning at bingo and watching her beloved Canucks. She worried about their goalie, Thatcher Demko’s health.

Kit should have been a diplomat. She had an aura about her and could walk into a room of people and in twenty minutes she’d have several friends and make several connections for others. Her life’s decisions were driven by her big heart. She was everyone’s auntie, sister, best friend, and especially, everyone’s Mom. She welcomed her husband’s cousins into her home as a big sister would and provided a bridge for their lives to adulthood that resulted in lifelong committed friendships. Neighborhood kids walked into her home because they felt welcome. As a nanny in Oak Bay, she was known and loved as “Auntie Kit”. She equally worried and fretted about as well as bragged and boasted about all the kids that called her Mom or Auntie. Then for years after she retired as a nanny, Kit advocated and cared for several elderly women who were her friends.

She obeyed every rule to the letter without fail and could not understand those who didn’t. She was driven by a strong sense of what was right as well as the needs of others. In November of her 90th year, hospitalized and gasping for every breath, she asked her kids to make sure someone remembered to wish Mae a happy birthday.

Kit was a very positive person. She would look for the best in a person, a situation, a place or a meal. Most everyone was “just lovely”. It is only fitting that her sons think she was the best Mom, her daughters-in-law think she was the best mom-in-law, her sister thinks she was the best sister, and her friends think she was the best friend one could have.

Kit was very particular and liked all the finest things in life. She was keenly aware of the daily news and whatever was trending. She was a great cook and eventually was no longer interested in testing or broadening her tastes. She knew her version was the best.

She was fiercely independent. She wanted so desperately to maintain her high standards without any help. She loved getting one up on her kids where she completed something herself before they could help her. She was maddest if someone did something for her without consulting her or doubted her ability to manage. When her body betrayed her wish to be independent, she mastered life with a walker then on continuous oxygen like a pro. She was the driver of her own life, maintaining her role as decision-maker until the very end.

Memories of Kit will include everything Christmas, Werther’s caramel popcorn and the Vancouver Canucks, watching the Academy Awards with women friends, butter and more butter on everything, mashed carrots and turnips, colouring your hair forever, crunchy cookies, a simple tomato sandwich with crunchy lettuce, grandkids in California, bacon, cranberry sauce, meeting with friends, tea sandwiches from the White Heather, chicken wings, walks in Beacon Hill park, turkey dinners, talking to kids, Werther’s candies, trips to the casino, and ham and pea soup.

Good-bye Kit. Thanks for the warm memories. Everyone who knew you loved you and we already miss you. The family wishes to thank everyone for the condolences and warm wishes. No flowers please. Donations to the Women In Need Community Cooperative in Victoria.