Sheila M. Cook

Sheila M. (Moriarty) Cook, 75, of Peabody, formerly of Swampscott, died at home on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 following many “good days and better days” in her battle with multiple sclerosis and ultimately cancer.  She was the beloved wife of Earl W. Cook, with whom she shared fifty-two years of marriage.

Born in Somerville on December 20, 1948, Sheila was the daughter of the late David and Nora (Lynch) Moriarty from whom she received her deep pride and appreciation for her Irish roots.  She was raised and educated in Somerville and Medford and was a graduate of Saint Clement’s High School and Boston State College.

Sheila’s love for children persisted throughout her life – from raising three children of her own, to dedicating her professional life to early childhood education, to her interactions with her grandchildren or any child who would sit long enough. This love led her to own and operate a preschool, Kid’s Korner, in Swampscott for many years and continued as an educator in the Swampscott Public Schools.

Though a resident of Swampscott for thirty-two years and Peabody for seven, her summers for over fifty years belonged to the St. Laurent Campers Association in Royalston. Her best days were spent at the beach, her nights around the fire collecting and dishing out the latest gossip (whether true or slightly fabricated) over a beer and a cigarette. She loved gardening, finding the best deal in town and a great cup of coffee.

In addition to her husband, she leaves three children, Sarah Geary and her husband Dennis of Salem, Zachary Cook and his wife Molly of Scituate, and Amanda Cook of Peabody, her cherished grandchildren, Emma Cook, Finnegan Cook, and Nathaniel Geary, her siblings, Charles Moriarty, David Moriarty, and Maura Woods, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by two sisters, Marjorie McLaughlin and Noreen Flaherty.

Visiting hours will be Wednesday, December 11, 2024 from 4:00pm – 7:00pm in C.R. Lyons & Sons Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers Square.  Relatives and friends are invited.  All other services are private.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Sheila’s memory may be made to the National MS Society at https://bit.ly/InMemoryOfSheilaCook. To share an expression of sympathy with the Cook family, please visit www.LyonsFuneral.com.