Christine Maria ; (nee Symonds) Cook

I was really sad to hear about Christine. l always thoroughly enjoyed working with her during my time at ELP Wellington as she was a supportive, kind colleague and also a lot of fun to be with. He nui te aroha ki tōna whānau. Maddy.

Tēnā koutou te whānau, Greetings to all of Christine’s beloved ones – in particular, her children, mokopuna/grandchildren and siblings. On behalf of the Dunedin Former Refugees’ Steering Group (DFRSG), of which Christine was a deeply-valued member, I send our aroha /love and condolences. Christine, I am so sad to hear that You have passed-on. I acknowledge your calm, authoritative, compassionate presence in all our meetings. Thank You so much for your contributions and making meetings a pleasure to chair. Thank you for your kindness and thoughtfully-high expectations You held on behalf of each former refugee and migrant person you served as English Language Partners’ manager. Our DFRSG meetings have not been the same since you have not been in the role. You and your wisdom, laugh and hopeful determination to persevere in the face of obstacles - will be sorely missed. Arohanui, much love and Ia manuia lau malaga/May Your journey be blessed.

My deepest condolences to your family. Christine brought vibrance, sense of humour to work. I was working under Christine at ELP Hutt in 2010s. I agree with Marina that "she made a lasting difference in my life, and I am so grateful to have worked under her guidance." I came to work everyday looking forward to chatting with her, she gave me the smile in that difficult time of my life. Christine, you will be greatly missed.

Dear Zoe, Francis and family I am so sorry to hear of Christine’s passing. I considered her a very dear friend. We met in 2011 on a more than two week tour in Spain. Christine was my roommate. She had recently had an operation on her knee and had difficulty in carrying her suitcase (it was only 23kgs, ha ha) and walking at the same time. So, I carried it for her. That was the beginning of as they say, a beautiful friendship. We had so much fun over the next few weeks traipsing all around Spain. After coming home, we kept in touch and have done so for the past 15 years. Christine travelled to my place in Coffs Harbour, Australia and I travelled over to both Wellington and Dunedin to visit her. As we both had children and grandchildren (and so much else), we would email each other to give updates on all the goings on of our beautiful families. On my last visit to NZ, we started researching her family with ancestry and had so much fun finding out all about her ancestors. I continued travelling and would send her photos of where I visited. We thought that once she had retired, we would be able to travel together again. I last heard from Christine less than a week before she died, not realising that her condition had deteriorated. In all the messaging and emailing we did, Christine never complained. Zoe and Francis, your mum was so, so proud of the both of you, and the grandkids. She adored you all. I will miss her dearly.

Dear Zoe and Francis, My deepest condolences to you and your family. I had the privilege to have Christine as my manager at ELP Hutt for 12 years. I had so much admiration for her. She was an exceptional leader, a clear communicator, and an enthusiastic and vibrant presence. When Christine was in the room there was always extra radiance! I considered her my mentor and she became a good and kind friend over the years. She will be missed by so many. When I faced personal/health struggles back in 2012 Christine was very empathetic, offered practical solutions and I will always be grateful for that level of support I experienced under her wing. She was a rock for our staff, teachers and learners and demonstrated fairness and firmness - she was our guardian in the tricky times and beacon of joy when we were all on a roll! You are TRULY missed and you will be in our hearts always. Arohanui, Christine.

I am very sad to learn of Christine's death. As a teacher at English Language Partners Hutt, I had the privilege of working with Christine in her role as manager over many years. I greatly admired her dedication to her work and her commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for both staff and learners. I also valued her sense of humour, her honesty, her perceptive understanding of people and situations and her willingness to speak candidly while always keeping learners’ needs at the heart of her decisions.

Dear Zoe and Francis, My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time. Your mum was one of the kindest people I have had the privilege of working with, and she created a culture of genuine support and warmth through her leadership. She supported me during a period of personal hardship, and I will always be deeply grateful for her compassion and kindness. I am truly saddened by her passing. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Rest in peace Christine, it was a privilege and an honour to have worked with you and to know you. You will be greatly missed. Alwyn

Dear Zoe and Francis, my sincere and deepest condolences to you and all Christine's family! You have a wonderful mother, and you must be very proud of her. Thank you, Christine, for bringing me to the ELP Hutt Team. Although I worked with you at ELP Porirua and Hutt Centre for just a short time before you relocated to Dunedin, your cheerful manner and spirit impressed me so much. What inspired and impressed us most was your straightforward and valuable way of speaking up for everyone to make our organization better. I will never forget the lively and active image of you among people at the Sharefest in the past years. You will be deeply missed. Thank you, Christine, Rest in peace.

Dear Zoe and Francis, I am so deeply sorry for your loss, and I want to offer my heartfelt condolences. Your mum was an extraordinary manager — lots of fun talks, always cheerful, and endlessly supportive to her staff and to every student in ELP. I will always be grateful for the way she welcomed me into ELP and guided my growth. It was clear how much she poured into her work, but even more so into her family. She spoke of both of you often, always with such pride, and her love for her grandchildren shone through in everything she shared. She will be dearly missed and I am wishing you both strength in the days ahead.

We at ELP Dunedin worked with Christine in the years before she retired due to illness, the news of which was a great shock to her. Christine gave a lot to ELP, she always put the needs of staff and learners foremost - she did her best for us all and we knew we could rely on her. Although she could speak her mind on work matters, Christine was a shy and private person in many ways, but she would open up at times, and she was good at telling funny stories, sometimes about people and places in the past, but often about her grandsons, who she spoke of with great tenderness and joy. She had just begun to talk about retiring in the months before she left. It's terribly sad that the illness happened so suddenly and quickly.

Oh Cookie! What memories we have - we used to laugh & laugh - so much fun. We'd lost touch - that's life eh? But reconnected via FB only to discover you had relocated to Dunedin and even had a dog!! Deb & I were sharing memories the other day, most of which made us laugh especially the time that Jeffrey made us all octopus for dinner - it was disgusting (sorry Jeffrey). To Franics & Zoe - I know how proud your Mum was of you all - she'll forever live on in your hearts as she will in ours. Cookie, may you be at peace & free of pain wherever you are. Love from Rob & Tim xoxo

Sending my thoughts and wishes to Christine's family at this sad time. I had the pleasure of working with Christine at English Language Partners over the last 10 years. She was a very dedicated Manager to her staff and passionate about helping learners. She had a range of roles over nearly 20 years with ELPNZ, her contribution to the organisation was significant and will be remembered fondly by many. I will remember her for her good humour and sense of fun in her work. Rest in peace, we will miss you Christine.