Our beloved Vina Lorine Cook, 98, of Orange, Texas passed away peacefully into the arms of our Lord and Father on Friday, December 7, 2018.

Funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 22, 2018, at 11:00 A.M. at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 106 W. Park Avenue, Orange, TX, 77630 with viewing from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M.

Mrs. Cook was born February 25, 1920 in Geneva, Texas to Amanda Wright.

She was united in holy matrimony to Sharper Cook on June 21, 1938, in their hometown of Geneva, Texas. They celebrated sixty-three years of marriage before his passing. She and Sharper made Orange their home in 1949 soon after relocating from San Francisco, California, where she worked as a conductor for the San Francisco Trolley Company.

Mrs. Cook believed in the importance of education and received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1952 from Butler College. She taught elementary school in Orange and retired in 1985 from the Orange Independent School District after thirty-one years, and was recognized as a valuable and devoted public school servant. Community service was another important focus in her life. She received many distinctive honors as a tireless volunteer and servant in the community for numerous organizations, including Delta Psi Zeta Chapter, Zeta Psi Beta Sorority, The Herons of Jericho, Top Ladies of Distinction – Orange Chapter Area, The National Education Association, Orange County Retired Texas Teacher Association, Orange Classroom Teachers Association, Texas Teachers of Excellence, Texas Association for the Improvement of Reading, VFW Auxiliary Post #2775, United Way of Orange County Supporter, American Cancer Society Texas Division Supporter and Women of Leisure. Service to her church was equally important and she dedicated sixty-five years of service as a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, serving on numerous church commissions.

Her love for her family was extraordinary, evidenced by the immeasurable support and encouragement she provided. Family and friends filled her home with laughter and enjoyed her cooking on countless Sundays, birthdays and holidays. Her beautiful life will forever be remembered and celebrated by her loved ones as a life well lived.

She is survived by her children, Richard Cook (Diane), Draton Cook (Shirley), Linda Shelby, and Janie Joubert (Marvin); seventeen grandchildren; twenty-six great grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Mrs. Cook is preceded in death by her mother, Amanda Wright; her husband, Sharper; her daughter, Pauline Hunter; her son, Jimmy Cook; brothers, Willie Wright, and Draton Wright; and sister, Maurine Dennis.