Lynda Cook

Lynda Maria (Dinelli) Cook, age 74, of Victorville, California, passed away November 6, 2022, after complications from a stroke she suffered 3 months ago. Her beloved children, Christy and Jason, were by her side.

She was born in Los Angeles, California on February 12, 1948, the daughter of Pepehno Joseph Dinelli and Ethel (Payne) Dinelli. Lynda along with her older brother Dick (Richard) and little brother Joey (Joe) grew up and resided in Downey, California. Lynda loved to share the fond memories she had of their numerous trips to “Grandma’s house” on the Dinelli family farm in Plainfield, Iowa. She enjoyed spending time with her Grandma Lucrezia (born in Italy) and her many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Lynda was also very close to her mom’s sister “Aunt Sally” and visited her often in San Francisco, a city she always loved.

Lynda graduated from Warren High School in Downey, CA and earned an Associate Degree from Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA. She married John Cook, had two children, and worked as an office manager for a local income tax and bookkeeping firm. In 1979, the Cook family moved to Apple Valley, CA and Lynda achieved her dream of opening her own business “Lynda Cook Tax & Accounting”. She had a passion to help people and was extremely organized, meticulous, dedicated, and hard-working; often working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week during “Tax Season”. Over the 40 years she was in business, she served a multitude of small businesses and hundreds of clients, not only in the High Desert, but across the country as many of her clients that moved away insisted that she was the best and they could never find anyone good enough to replace her. Many of her clients and fellow tax associates became lifelong friends and part of her extended family. When asked to describe Lynda as an accountant, tax preparer or person; you will get an earful of compliments but there is always one word that stands out and that is “Amazing!”

Lynda went “all in and all out” when she loved someone or something. In addition to her business, children, family, and friends; she loved dogs & cats, movies, TV series, music, anything (and EVERYTHING) that was any shade of pink or Thomas Kinkade. She was an avid collector and surrounded herself with the things she loved.

Lynda was preceded in death by her parents and her older brother, Richard “Dick” Chadwick.

Left to cherish her memory is her daughter and son-in-law, Christy (Cook) and Todd Bertinotti of Henderson, NV; son, Jason Cook of Victorville, CA; her brother Joe Dinelli of Apple Valley, CA and many dear friends, clients and extended family.

A memorial service will be held at Sunset Hills Memorial Park 24000 Waalew Rd, Apple Valley, CA on Friday, December 2, 2022, at 3 PM with a reception to follow on the patio. Please dress casual, comfortable, warm, and in honor of Lynda; wear as much of her favorite color, PINK, as you can! In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in Lynda’s honor to City of Hope, D.E.L.T.A. Rescue, or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.