Naomi Estelle Cooke 1971–2023

Naomi Estelle Cooke, BA(Hons) BSc(Hons), MA(Linguistics), Dip(Psychology), was born in Ryde on the Isle of Wight. After moving to Kent in 1978 she acquired a BA(Hons) in Modern Languages from Anglian University, Cambridge. She started her career teaching French and Italian at the Licensed Victuallers School Epsom, where she also taught German in an emergency, if a teacher of that language was unavailable.

In 2001 she moved to New Zealand where she eventually embarked on a new career as an Educational Psychologist and Counsellor, working in various schools and educational establishments in Christchurch, New Zealand's third largest city.

She specialised in the fields of bereavement counselling and all types of childhood abuse, setting up workshops and study groups with colleagues, teachers and students parents.

She brought to her new career the same fierce dedication and compassion she had shown when a teacher, being held with high regard and affection by colleagues, parents and the children she treated alike.

In 2018 she was diagnosed with lung cancer, despite never having smoked, finally succumbing last June after a hard-fought battle through which she displayed the courage grace, and resilience which were the hallmarks of her life.

She leaves her husband, Hamish, and two sons, Jonti and Zeb.