Elizabeth Jackson Cook was born in St. Petersburg, Florida to the late Mr. and Mrs. Doss and Constance Jackson, and was educated in Washington, D.C. She attended Blackwell Business College, Minor Teachers College, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Library School. She was married to the late Welmore A. Cook.
Elizabeth moved to San Diego, California from Washington, D.C. in 1984. Prior to coming to San Diego, she was employed for over 35 years as a librarian for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. She began immediately sharing her expertise in the field of Library Science with the San Diego Community. Elizabeth assisted in the reorganization of the Reference Department at the Chula Vista Public Library. She then helped establish a library at the Christian Academy in Chula Vista and volunteered at the Lower School Library at La Jolla Country Day School.
In addition to being an enthusiastic volunteer, Elizabeth loved traveling and seeing the world with her best friend the late Martha A. Strothers. During her retirement, she traveled extensively throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, and internationally through Europe, the Far East and the Caribbean. She enjoyed playing canasta for over 30 years, and was a charter member of The Cardettes of Washington, D.C.
Elizabeth cherished her family and friends and was concerned about the needs of others all of her life. She lived by the motto that “one person could make the difference in a community one day at a time.” She served as President of the National Council of Negro Women, San Diego Section, for several years beginning in 1994. She was a life member of Rady Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, Southeast Cluster Unit and she served as an Advisory Board Member for The San Diego Delta Foundation, Inc. Elizabeth was honored as an outstanding mother by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at “Breakfast for MiLady” in 1993. She was also presented with a Community Service Award by the Nordstrom Company in 1999.
Elizabeth was an active member of Christian Fellowship United Church of Christ. She was a member of the Trustee and Christian Education Boards, and faithfully attended Sunday school for over ten years. In 2005, Elizabeth was recognized for her dedicated service to the congregation.
She had two siblings who preceded her in death, Alphonso Jackson and Doss Jackson. She is survived by her daughters, Ingrid P. Cook Chapman (William T. Chapman, M.D.), Charlotte E. Cook (Otto B. Bird), and Patricia J. Sanchez Urcuyo (Ramón Sánchez Urcuyo); grandchildren Marcus C. Chapman (Latavia Chapman), Blaire M. Chapman, Leigh M. Chapman, Jonathan B. Bird (Rosalba Gómez Gutiérrez), David A. Bird, Scott C. Bird (Francesca Larson); great-grandchildren, Sabria Chapman, Marcus Chapman, Jr., Autumn Chapman, Nichim Bird-Gómez, Kinal Bird-Gómez, and Serafina Larson Bird; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and many friends.
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