More than 330 family, friends, colleagues and former students gathered in the Mahurangi College auditorium on October 22 to celebrate the life of a woman who was described as both “an icon of Warkworth” and “The Voice”.
Maida Hellen Cook grew up on the family dairy farm in Karamea, on the West Coast. She completed her education as a boarder at Nelson Girls College, where she became a representative hockey player. It was here that she also discovered her passion for food preparation, although she maintained throughout her life that she would have preferred to have been a farmer.Maida trained in home economics in Auckland and then returned to the South Island to teach in Motueka, Nelson and Takaka. One of the highlights of her professional life was serving scones to Sir Edmund and Lady Hillary.
Then, in 1961, she accepted a position at the Warkworth District High School, the forerunner to Mahurangi College. She arrived on her 23rd birthday, on May 22, and remained at the school for the next 31 years, one of the longest terms of service in the school’s history.As a number of speakers at her funeral noted, the West Coast left an indelible mark on Maida in the form of her voice which, despite elocution lessons, could make students, colleagues and even principals quake in their boots.
“Her voice carried vast distances at the school and it seemed she never forgot a student’s name, particularly if she caught them doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing. Students who ignored commands like ‘tuck in your shirt’, ‘pull up your socks’ and ‘don’t lick the spoon’ did so at their peril.”One of her first assignments in Warkworth was catering for the school ball, a significant community event in those days. Dinner included fresh crayfish and she had to employ a team of boys to make sure the rats didn’t get to the supper before the guests. The night was a success and Maida’s place in the school was cemented.
Over the next three decades she fulfilled many roles above and beyond her teaching duties. She was remembered for washing the football jerseys, coaching netball, running after-school cooking classes for boys and giving career advice.
Former principal Alon Shaw said that when he joined the school in 1970 the roll was 301 and there were 13 teachers on staff.
“I remember when we started sewing classes for boys,” he said. “One day Maida came into my office, obviously very upset, saying, ‘I just can’t cope anymore. Those boys use the sewing machines like they’re driving a racing car!’”
Many speakers paid tribute to Maida’s unwavering friendship, thoughtfulness and caring nature, and the many wedding and birthday cakes she had created over her lifetime.
“She gave us recipes for life and I often think of her when I am cooking,” god-daughter Kim Sterling said.
“As we looked through her collection of old photographs this week, we realised there were three constants – friends, food and wine.”Maida also made a considerable contribution to her community. While still teaching, she and colleague Bill Speed organised monthly dinners for senior citizens at Point Wells. After retirement, she volunteered at the Warkworth i-SITE for 17 years where she became adept at doing the bus bookings, as well as convincing visitors to stay not just one night but several.
She was a member of the Warkworth Town Hall Advisory Committee for more than 20 years and was passionate about the hall’s preservation. She was also involved in St John, loved to travel and was a regular house-sitter for friends.
After being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2014, Maida faced a new set of challenges, which her doctor and friend Dr Warwick Palmer said she handled with dignity.
When she eventually needed to use a mobility scooter, she campaigned for improvements to Warkworth’s footpaths for people with limited mobility.
Although Maida never married, a number of speakers described her as one of her family. She was described as part of the fabric of Warkworth and an aunty to everyone. She was independent, had very high standards and used “that voice” to ensure those standards were met.
Maida’s ashes will be buried alongside her parents in Stoke.
The funeral officiant was David Parker, and speakers were Suella Quinn, Maida’s brother Allan Cook, Susan Haurua, Kim Sterling, Alon Shaw, Bill Speed, Dr Palmer, Mark Blong, Raewyn Morrison, and Bruce Papworth.
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