Lorraine Helen "Lori" Cook

Lorraine Helen Cook, née Berard, also known to those close to her as Lori, 85, was called home by the Lord on May 17, 2024, in La Mesa, California, with her beloved daughters by her side. She was born on February 26, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, to Raymond and Helen Berard (née Ahrens). Lorraine was baptized and confirmed in Brooklyn, and her strong faith in God provided a constant source for strength and guidance throughout her life.

In 1952 the family relocated to San Diego, California, where Lori attended Roosevelt Junior High School and graduated from San Diego High School in 1956 a year early after having skipped a grade earlier in grammar school. In high school she studied ceramics and was a Swimmerette. Later she took stenography and medical clerk courses.

Lorraine married Charles F. Mullen in 1958 and became a stepmother to his son, and from this union was born a daughter, JoAnne. The marriage was later dissolved. In 1965 she married Eugene E. Cook, and they had a daughter, Michelle, who was born while Gene was in Vietnam. After Gene was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1967, the family moved to rural Wisconsin near Gene's family, then back to San Diego in 1975. This marriage also later ended.

While her family always came first, Lori also worked as a sales clerk at Kress five-and-dime; she was a billing clerk and a medical clerk; she sold Tupperware, Artex liquid embroidery paints, and Avon products; she was a hostess at Home Federal Savings & Loan; and she worked at a preschool and at a mobile-home park office.

Lorraine was very creative and resourceful and had many interests, including dancing, singing, and bowling. She was a talented seamstress, sewing many items for her family and her own prom dress without a pattern. Lori created many beautiful things for her home through crocheting, macramé, and Artex paints. She was adept at handling household repairs and assisted Gene in adding a bathroom to two of their homes. Lorraine's love for nature was evident in how she cared for her flowers and houseplants, and she had many beloved pets, whom were all rescues.

Lorraine was predeceased by her parents; her brothers, Raymond J. Berard and Alfred L. Berard; both former husbands; and her stepson, Charles F. Mullen II.

Lorraine is survived by her daughters JoAnne (Robert) Thomas of Flippin, Arkansas; and Michelle (Jeffrey) Rundell of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas; step-grandsons R.J. (Destiny) Thomas of El Cajon, California; and Sean Thomas of Pagosa Springs, Colorado; three step-great-grandchildren, and her beloved cat, Callie.

A memorial service to honor Lori's memory will be arranged at a later date. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Salvation Army or your local animal shelter or SPCA in recognition of Lori's charitable nature and love for animals.

Lori Cook's memory will be forever cherished by those who knew her. Her legacy of love, creativity, and faith will endure. May she rest in peace, and may her memory be eternal.