Gerald Francis Cooke
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Gerald Francis Cooke, 57, a senior project manager with Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored mortgage finance company, died of cancer July 18 at his home in Washington. Mr. Cooke was born in the District and graduated from  Anacostia High School in 1969. In 1973, he received his undergraduate degree in international studies from New York's Union College, where he was a volunteer with the school's Upward Bound program.
He was assistant director of the program for a year after his graduation and then received his master's degree in business administration from New York University in 1976.
He began his career in global finance working in New York for the Bank of America's international division. He later worked for the Central Bank in Caracas, Venezuela, and as a senior manager at the National Bank of Kuwait. He left Kuwait in 1990 because of the Iraqi invasion.
Settling in Washington, he worked as a consultant and as the real estate director for the D.C. Public Schools. He joined Fannie Mae in 2007.
Mr. Cooke was ordained a deacon in 2002 at St. Ann's Catholic Church in      the District and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was fluent in      French and Spanish and functionally fluent in Arabic.
Survivors include his wife of 24 years, Janice M. Cooke, and a daughter,      Shannon M. Cooke, both of Washington; his mother, Mary E. Cooke of      Washington; a sister, Dr. Estelle Cooke-Sampson of Washington; and three      brothers, Vincent M. Cooke and Joseph H. Cooke, both of Washington, and      Lawrence E. Cooke of New York.
-- Joe Holley