Trustee emerita Mary Moragne ’54 Cooke passed away on Saturday, June 25, 2022. Her story is inextricably linked to Punahou, and her many contributions over a lifetime of service have left an indelible mark on our School and the broader community to which she gave so much and cared for so deeply.
Mary grew up on Kaua‘i and attended Punahou School from grades 10 – 12, living in Castle Hall, which was then the girls’ dorm. She graduated in 1954 and went on to Cornell University. She returned to Punahou to serve as a Trustee from 1968 – 2011, and her 43 years of dedicated service is one of the School’s longest – a testament to her great devotion to her alma mater. Over the decades, Mary served on virtually every board committee and was Board Secretary for an astounding 37 years. For her lifetime of service to Punahou, Mary was presented Punahou’s “O” in Life Award, the School’s highest honor, in 2014.
All along, Mary was a strong voice and advocate for historical, environmental and sustainability issues. A vital presence on the board’s Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mary is credited with promoting LEED design initiatives at Punahou – a legacy that guides our approach to campus planning today.
Mary’s passions extended beyond Punahou. Pursuing her commitment to historic preservation, she dedicated her energy and talents to the stewardship of the Mānoa Heritage Center, which she founded with her late husband Sam Cooke ’55, and to Mālama Mānoa which she also founded in the 1990s. She also served on the National Trust for Historical Preservation and as President of the Garden Club of Honolulu.
We will remember her undying grace and humility and are profoundly grateful for all that Mary has done for the Punahou and Hawai‘i communities. She is survived by daughters: Juliette ’79, Catherine ’81 (Les Ihara) and Edith ’83 and two grandchildren. Our heartfelt condolences to the Cooke and Moragne families during this time of loss.