Rosa Waring Cooke's Obituary
Rosa Waring Cooke was born in Pahokee, Florida on December 15, 1940 to the late Ben and Rosa Mabel Waring. She grew up in Madison, Florida and later graduated from Valdosta State College.
Rosa married her high school sweetheart, James Oliver Cooke III in February, 1963 and had two children, James Oliver Cooke IV and Sharon Renee Cooke. They lived in several places such as Savannah, Georgia, Tallahassee, Florida, and Waynesville, North Carolina.
Over the years, Rosa held various jobs from her first job at Irene’s Dress Shop at age 14 to a position as bookkeeper at her children’s school to becoming the operations manager at a brokerage firm in Tallahassee. She was actively involved in her community and church in every city she lived. In her words, her best job was being a housewife and mother. She will be remembered for serving her family and those around her, especially her children’s college friends as their mom away from moms, with love and hospitality, making everyone feel at home.
Rosa is survived by her husband, Jimmie Cooke and their children Jim Cooke (Pam) and Sharon Cooke, her six grandchildren, Quinn Cooke (Kylie), Abby Watson (Austin), Abe (Kaeli), Rosalyn, Jamin, & Roman Cates and three great grandchildren, Chloe, Rowan & James VI.
A visitation for the Cooke family will be held Friday, March 27, 2026, at 10:00 am at First Baptist Church, 108 W. College Avenue, Tallahassee, Florida. A memorial service will begin at 11:00 am.
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