Claire Adelaide Cooke

Claire Adelaide Cooke was born in New York City, NY on January 3, 1945. The only child of Eduardo Ettore and Elvira Cangiassi Manfredi, she quickly established herself as a child of intellectual prowess. She left New York City at 16 for college at San Diego State College, where she was a math major, and lived with her Aunt Mary and Uncle Joe Coha, and later with her cousin Alfred Coha and his wife Mabel and their children Joe, John, and Peter Coha. San Diego State is where she offered a snack of carrots to a young mechanical engineering student and simultaneously found her life partner, Michael Wesley Cooke. They married immediately after college in 1965 and began their life together, as Claire taught high school math and Mike worked as a civilian mechanical engineer for the Navy.

After the birth of their first child, Claire transitioned into the career that most matched her passions, that of Chief Executive of the Cooke Family, located in El Cajon, CA where she served in every capacity, from Domestic Engineer, Librarian, Head Chef, Chief Transportation Officer, Logistics Manager (aka Blast Off Coordinator), Head of Learning and Development, Purchasing Specialist, Senior Advisor, and most importantly, loving mother and wife. She and Mike raised four kids, Michelle, Heather, Jonathan, and Adam, and she reveled in their growth and accomplishments and their choice of spouses, Brian Richter, Tyson Leistiko, Keiko Hirakawa, and Andrea Reyes Cooke.

Claire enjoyed sharing her love of reading, gardening, and hummingbirds as grandmother to Ben and Sam Leistiko, Michaela and Chiara Richter, Marina Hirakawa, and Maya and Wes Cooke-Reyes. She and Mike were tireless supporters of the San Diego Regional Group of the Horseless Carriage Club where Claire served as the President for multiple terms. Technology and her iPad allowed Claire to stay connected with her many friends and family for the last few years while she was home-bound with Mike as her dedicated caregiver. She passed away on Friday, February 10, 2023 with Mike and her children surrounding her.

A celebration of life will be held in the summer. In lieu of flowers, Claire and Mike would encourage you to make a donation to, or volunteer with, an organization important to you or your family. If you are in need of suggestions, some organizations important to Claire and her family members are: Horseless Carriage Foundation, Inc.; Arbor Day Foundation; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Baja Team; Eastside College Preparatory School; Muttville Senior Dog Rescue; and the Randall Museum.