Obituary of Elaine Gwendolyn Cooke

Elaine Gwendolyn Cooke, 86 years of East Orange, New Jersey, passed away on Monday, April 24, 2023, at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, due to heart failure.

Born to the late Christopher and Reba Cooke on November 11, 1936, in East Orange, New Jersey,  Elaine was the youngest of 8 children-- Mina, Christopher Jr., Douglas, Robert, Ralph, Barbara, and Jay.

Elaine graduated from Fisk University, and soon after began her career as a Probation Officer in Essex County, New Jersey. She was later promoted to Supervisor of the Essex County Child Support Division, becoming the first black female to hold the position until her retirement. She was highly regarded as a supervisor and loved and respected by her colleagues.

Memories of Elaine will be treasured by her sister Barbara and her brother-in-law Henry Nelson; her nieces and nephews Sharon Caulder, Curtis and Ricky Cooke, Keith Nelson, Gina Cooke, and Kimberly Talton; her caretaker of 18 years Beatrice Maxime and her children, Berthonn, and NK; a host of grand and great nieces and nephews; and other loving relatives and friends. While Elaine did not give birth, she was a mother and mentor to many.

Elaine was a life-long member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She was an intelligent woman known for being honest, giving, loving and kind. “Death may end a life, but not the love.” She will be missed, but never forgotten.

Lovingly Submitted,

The Family