Elizabeth McCreary Simonds Cook of Berryville, VA and Siasconset, MA died peacefully with her family by her side at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville on Thursday August 13, 2015. The cause of death was an aggressive systemic infection following a short illness. She was 67. Elizabeth, known to friends as Beth, was born May 7, 1948 in Boston, MA. She was a daughter of the late Elizabeth McCreary Simonds and George Henry Simonds III of Belmont and Siasconset, MA. She first attended Belmont Day School. In 1966, Elizabeth graduated from Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, MA. That year she was also presented at the Debutante Cotillion in Boston, MA and became a member of the Vincent Club. She majored in music at Vassar College and obtained a bachelor’s degree cum laude in 1970. A Mayflower descendant, she was a member of the Colonial Dames of America. A direct ancestor, General Joseph Spencer, fought as second in command of the Connecticut Militia, serving under George Washington at Valley Forge, PA over the winter of 1777-1778. She met her future husband, Peter J. Cook of Reading, England, while studying German near Munich during the summer of 1969. They married in Cambridge, MA on June 10, 1972 and moved to London, England where Elizabeth worked for Burke’s Peerage Ltd. and organized private tours of London’s antique shops and auction houses. The Cooks traveled to many continental European countries, frequently to Italy. In 1977, Elizabeth and her husband settled in Clarke County, VA where they raised two children. She was an active volunteer at Powhatan School in Boyce, VA for thirty years, organizing numerous events for her children’s classes, multiple school book fairs, auctions, and other fundraisers. She served on the school’s Board of Trustees from 1987 to 1993, on its Buildings and Grounds and Scholarship Committees, and played an instrumental role during the 1991 search for a new head of school. In 2003, she joined the Associate Board on which she remained until her death. In 1988, Peter and Elizabeth opened Oakland Tree Plantation, a Christmas tree farm, on their property. Elizabeth was closely involved in operating the business for many years. Elizabeth owned and operated the Winchester Book Gallery from 1994 to 2001, organizing book signings for a number of noted authors including Steven Kellogg and Laura Robb. She read voraciously throughout her life and had a particular talent for recommending books to her customers, friends and family. She remained an ardent supporter of independent bookstores throughout her life. Elizabeth was an enthusiastic gardener with a rare aesthetic sensibility. She was a member of the Winchester-Clarke Garden Club and the Greenway Garden Club. In recent years she and her husband worked together to create an outstanding Japanese rock garden on their property. She derived great pleasure from entertaining her friends and frequently gave dinner parties and luncheons in both Virginia and on Nantucket. Elizabeth loved art, architecture, opera, fine jewelry, and exploring places of natural beauty, visiting more than twenty countries in addition to her travels in Europe. She was an accomplished singer and an enthusiastic tennis player from an early age, playing regularly for many years. Elizabeth treasured spending summers with her family in the village of ‘Sconset on Nantucket Island, where she was a member of the Sankaty Head Golf Club and the Siasconset Casino Association. She was a member of the Millwood Country Club in Millwood, VA. A social subscriber of the Blue Ridge Hunt for thirty-five years, she co-chaired several Hunt Balls. She was also a loyal supporter of the Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles. Above all, Elizabeth was a devoted daughter, wife, and mother. She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Peter; a daughter, Caroline Cook Buechle and her husband Kurt of Vienna, VA; a son, James H. Cook and his wife Ashley of Charleston, SC; a sister Nancy Simonds Shaw of Brookline, MA; brother-in-laws John H. Cook and Bruce P. Shaw, a niece Elizabeth W. Shaw and a nephew Robert S. Shaw. Burial in Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston, MA will be private. A memorial service will be held Saturday September 12th at 3pm at Grace Episcopal Church, 110 North Church Street, Berryville, VA. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Powhatan School or the Nantucket Conservation Foundation.