Mary Patricia Elliott Cook, 88, of Vestavia Hills, died Aug. 17 in Birmingham. Born June 2, 1938, in Acmar, in St. Clair County, she was the daughter of John Steadman Elliott Jr. and Fredda Caldwell Elliott. 

She attended Tarrant High School, where she served as a majorette, and later studied at Birmingham-Southern College. In the 1950s and 1960s, she worked as a fashion show and print model for Loveman's and Pizitz, two of Birmingham's most prominent department stores, and won numerous beauty pageants, carrying the beauty and poise of that era with her for the rest of her life. That grace carried forward into a lifelong devotion to children. For more than 25 years, Mary Patsy worked as an after school educator in the Vestavia Hills and Hoover school systems, and she continued serving in the nursery at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church well into her later years. She was equally active in civic causes and clubs across Vestavia Hills, Birmingham, and the state of Alabama. Above all, she was a loving mother and grandmother, sustained throughout her life by her faith. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Capt. Donald Grant Elliott; and her former husband, ex-state Sen. John W. "Doug" Cook. She is survived by her daughter, Pamela Cook, and her grandson, Elliott Cook. 

A visitation will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m., at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the Upper Room, Cathedral Church of the Advent, or Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church.