(89 years) Resident of Concord Born in Belfast N. Ireland to William M and Violet (nee Morrison) Cooke, one of four boys, three of whom now live in California. Completing a 5 yr apprenticeship, graduated from the Belfast College of Technology as Electrical Engineer. Interviewed by MI6 moved to England and worked for AWRE, on nuclear power, and later for Ethicon, using nuclear UV sterilizing for the medical industry.
Started playing soccer with the Boy’s Brigade, continued playing at part-time for Newbury Town Football Club, and later for company teams. He met Brenda at adance in Reading and were married one year later in 1962, at St Marks in Cold Ash, Nr Newbury. Spending our honeymoon in a cottage by the Irish Sea. In 1964 we moved from London to Leicester, where daughter Carole was born. In 1967 he accepted an engineering position in Los Angeles on a 1 year contract year. In 1968 moved to San Jose, where our son William was born. While working for Reactor Control on subcontract for Bechtel Corp., he went to Milan. In 1972, started working for Bechtel, during this time, became a State Professional Engineer.
He was amember of the IEE and the IEEE. During his stay with Bechtel he travelled to Oak Ridge in Tennessee, Hanford Washington, Cape Canaveral Florida and 7 months in Prague working on a gas pipeline to India. In 1973 we bought a fixer upper in Orinda and lived there 23 yrs until he retired. He continued to play soccer until he was 55and then took up golf. He shared his soccer skills coaching the under14 boys Orinda Blues team and on moving to Walnut Creek the under14 Vipers team. He did stroke and turn at Orinda Park Pool where our children swam. In 1976 he became a citizen because he didn’t believe in ‘taxation without representation. Visited our vacation home in Groveland often, enjoying the club, the lake, playing golf and visiting the Iron Door Saloon.
After retirement he joined the Walnut Creek Sirs Branch 8, playing golf, bridge and enjoying the Dine Out functions, and the Italian America club dances with Jack and Bobbie. The feather in his hat was the hole-in-one at Diablo Hills. He enjoyed traveling always enjoying the “craic”, with new people up and down California, Ireland, England, Kauai, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, the Cech Republic, Germany, Canada, Alaska and many states in the US. “Maybe” was not a word in his vocabulary, it was either black or white, right or wrong. His health slowly deteriorated, but he persevered. His hospice team of Daisy, Maria, April and Tyana cheered him up and were patient with him.
Amemorial service is planned for 4pm on March 7th, at Lafayette United Methodist Church In lieu of flowers donations to St Jude’s Hospital or Lafayette United Methodist Church would be appreciated.