JOY COOKE

Published on 22/06/2017

Joy Cooke was born in Penge, SE20, on 6th February 1930, second daughter of Frank and Eva Smith. She married Frank Cooke in 1959. They have four children, Frances, Simon, Matthew and Timothy, and eight grandchildren. Much of Joys life was taken up with voluntary work, mostly with Penge & Anerley Family Welfare (subsequently Penge & Anerley Age Concern), which was founded after the war by her mother and other local volunteers. Joy was variously secretary and treasurer of this organisation, and spearheaded the development of services for the elderly based at Melvin Hall, Melvin Road, Penge. At its height, over 100 meals-on-wheels were delivered from Melvin Hall every day, and there was a daily lunch club together with a range of other activities and services for older people in Penge. Melvin Hall closed as a day centre for the elderly in August 2016, but it remains a community resource for the people of Penge. Joy was an active churchgoer. Before her marriage, she was a parishioner of St. Johns Church, Penge, where she taught in the Sunday School. Later she attended St Mildreds Church, Addiscombe, teaching in the Sunday School there too, and helping to arrange the flowers. After she and Frank moved from Beckenham to Sheppey in 1998, she became a parishioner of Minster Abbey Church. Joy was an active member of Beckenham & Penge Conservative Association, beginning with the then Penge Young Conservatives and then subsequently with Lawrie Park ward branch and the Ladies Association. Joys involvement in politics continued after she and Frank moved to Sheppey: she was elected to Minster Parish Council and took an active part in Sittingbourne & Sheppey Conservative Association. Throughout her life, Joys first love was gardening. She worked as a florist and nursery gardener from leaving school until her marriage, and although she was never again employed in those capacities after her marriage, she created wonderful gardens at the three houses she lived in during her married life - at Shirley, Beckenham and Minster. For many of us, our lasting memory of Joy is sitting in her garden with a cup of tea and a book, enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful flowers she had grown. Joys funeral took place at Minster Abbey, Minster-on-Sea, Sheerness, on 20th June at 12 noon. Donations in memory of her life and her work for the elderly of Penge may be made to Age UK at mydonate.bt.com/ fundraisers/joycooke.

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