Patricia Long Cook

Patricia L. Cook died peacefully in Palm Beach, Florida on September 29th, 2023. She was passionate about music, art, family, and above all, her late husband Edward W. "Ned" Cook who passed away in 2021. Her singing career extended from Moscow to Mississippi with, as she put it, "some interesting stops along the way.” Over the course of her career, Patricia performed for, King Charles III, The late Duke of Edinburgh, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Presidents Reagan, Clinton, George H. Bush, the Justices of the United States Supreme Court, and many others. Born in Tupelo Mississippi, Patricia was the eldest of 3 siblings. Music was always central to Patricia’s existence. Piano lessons, dance lessons, and singing in the church choir were all part of growing up in the peaceful protection of a small southern town. At Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, Patricia blossomed as a gifted performer in a production of Lerner and Lowe's "Paint Your Wagon." Spotted by television executives from both local ABC and CBS affiliates, she began a wonderful adventure in television. Her appearances on TV and the musical theatre stage as well as in concerts with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra were the building blocks of her early career. It was during those years in Memphis that she was asked to perform in Little Rock, Arkansas for then-Governor Bill Clinton. Years later, performing at his first inauguration, Patricia reminded President Clinton of her performance all those years ago in Little Rock. Tony Award winning composer, Charles Strouse (Annie, Bye-Bye, Birdie, Gipsy, Applause) gave Patricia the Chance to perform with him. "An Evening of Music by Strouse" was one of Patricia's proudest accomplishments along with singing at the Oscar Hammerstein Award ceremony, and later performing with the late, great, Tony Bennet. Her life took another turn when she and her late husband, Ned, began spending time in Gloucestershire, England. There, she met lyricist Don Black (Aspectes of Love, Sunset Boulevard) which led to work with conductor, arranger, jazz pianist and performer Laurence Holloway. Patricia’s work with Holloway began with a concert for The English Ballet School and its patron, Diana, Princess of Wales, then to a series of concerts throughout Europe. Their CD, "It Amazes me," was recorded at the BBC Studios in London. Patricia also often performed with New York based orchestra leader, Bob Hardwick. Their cabaret act, "I Love a Piano," was well received in Los Angeles, New York, and Palm Beach. Later, she toured major cities in China to promote a production of 42nd street by the Nederlander Organisation. Patricia is survived by her sister, Claudette Campbell of Atlanta, Georgia, her son, Mark W. Cook and partner Susanna D. Dwinell of West Palm Beach, and his three daughters, Phoebe W. Cook, Daisy M. Cook, and Lilly C. Cook; Her daughter, Kendall Cook Sekula, her husband Frank J. Sekula II of Gloucestershire, England, and their 2 sons, Edward R. "Ned" Sekula and Frank J Sekula III. Patricia's extended family includes three step Children: Edward W. "Ned" Cook, Jnr. Everett R. Cook II, and Barbara Cook Brooks. There are two step-grandsons, Everett R, Cook III and Conor W. Cook, 2 step grand-daughters, Charlotte Brooks and Elsabet T. Jones, and a step-great granddaughter, Olympia K. Cook. A memorial service will be held in Palm Beach in the spring of 2024. In Lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Palm Beach Island Hospice Foundation.