Corine E. Marek

Corine Elma "Coco" Marek, born August 20, 1951, in New Orleans, Louisiana, went to her heavenly rest on June 11, 2015. The much loved daughter of Dr. Frank and Mrs. Corine Marek, Coco attended Lake Charles High School, where she was a member of the acclaimed all-girl Kiltie Marching Drum Corps of LCHS, later transferring to All Saint's Episcopal School in Natchez, Mississippi. She played several sports at All Saint's before graduating there and enrolling at McNeese State University. At McNeese Coco was an active member and served as President of Phi Mu Fraternity, maintaining lifelong friendships with her Phi Mu sisters. She received both a B.A. and M.A. in History from McNeese. She was in the first graduating class of the Tulane University Paralegal Program and worked in New Orleans for a time before returning to Lake Charles to be nearer her parents. Coco worked at McGlinchey Stafford Law Firm in New Orleans, LA, where she played on the firm's softball team. Coco enjoyed membership in the Pioneer Club, Junior League of Lake Charles, Trinity Baptist Church, and Phi Mu Alumnae. She generously supported various charities and organizations, including veterans' groups, animal welfare organizations, Appalachian Christian Charities, Race for the Cure and other cancer charities, and Tulane University. Coco was a dedicated blood donor and an avid recycler. A dynamic and unique individual, Coco loved gardening, travel, her cats, and sports, especially her beloved Tennessee Lady Vols and their retired coach, Pat Summit. A history buff of the Civil War and World War II, she also collected coins, stamps, stuffed animals, and all manner of cat collectibles and memorabilia. Her extensive collection of books, both fiction and non-fiction, rivaled that of a public library. Coco's pride in her beautiful home was evident, its serene surroundings providing a home for the numerous cats she befriended, as well as serving as a visual reminder of one of her favorite scriptures: Be still and know that I am God. Generous and thoughtful to her many acquaintances and friends, Coco frequently dropped by for visits bearing her famously delicious pralines. Never hesitant to voice her opinion, she was intensely loyal to her friends and family and will be lovingly remembered by them for living life fully and on her own terms. She was preceded in death by her mother, Corine Gandy Marek, her father Dr. Frank Henry Marek, and her brother Frank Henry "Skipper" Marek, Jr. She is survived by several cousins, including Gloria Kickel Green of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Dale Jenkins Jones of Many, Louisiana; Camelia Gandy Willis and Janice Gandy of Vinita, Oklahoma; and Robert Wilson of Cranford, New Jersey, and a dear friend, Anne Louise Guidry of Lake Charles, Louisiana. A special thank you to Teresa Chapoy and Gerry Guillory, her faithful caregivers over many months, for their gentle compassion and abiding love for Coco. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at Johnson Funeral Home. Reverend Steve James will officiate. Interment will be at Prien Memorial Park. Visitation will be on Friday from 5 until 7 p.m. and will resume on Saturday from 11 a.m. until service time. Pallbearers are John Brian Green, Bobby Guidry, Donnie Vincent, David Katchur, James Leger, Michael Hance Guidry, and Jaden Robinson. Those who wish to honor Coco's memory in a lasting way are requested to make a gift to the Ethel Precht Foundation of Lake Charles or to a charity of their choice.