Obituary
Edward J. Cooke formerly of White River Junction, VT passed away peacefully in his sleep February 24, 2019 at his residence in The Villages, FL. Edward grew up in the apple fields of Shoreham, VT and attended Deerfield Academy followed by Dartmouth College. Ed was a beloved father and grandfather and spent his professional career as an educator starting in the Woodstock School District where he also began coaching. Ed quickly found out that not only did he love teaching, his real love was coaching. Ed found his home at Hartford High School where he was an adored teacher for over 30 years. Known to many as Mr. Cooke he was actively involved in athletics as coach, official and eventually Athletic Director. Many remember his smiling face in the halls of HHS, behind a scorer’s tables at the varsity basketball game and of course when he began the golf program at Hartford, leading the team to a state championship in ’94 and earning himself National Golf Coach of the year in 1997.
Ed spent many summers at the Woodstock Country Club where many will remember him welcoming them to their round of golf. As an accomplished golfer himself, Ed scored two holes’ in one’s in his time. And even though he was a lifelong, diehard Yankees and Giants fan, we still loved him. Ed retired from teaching in 2012 and moved to The Villages, FL where he was surrounded by cherished friends from Hartford. He lived out his dream of golfing whenever he desired and never shoveling snow again.
He is survived by his daughter Maria, her husband Eddie, their daughter and Edward’s first grandchild, Roisin, his daughter Sara, sister Nancy Girard, brother Wayne Cooke, his good friend Mary Jo Cooke and many other friends and golfers. As Yogi Berra would say, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” A ceremony of life will be held later this spring.
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