By Mike Hazlip—
Citrus Heights community members gathered at Sylvan Cemetery Thursday morning to remember Kathy Cook, the founder of the Citrus Heights Community Marching Band.
A lone bugler stood outside making a poignant scene against the funeral in the background as family gathered inside the gazebo to remember a woman who made a lasting impact on Citrus Heights.
All of Cook’s band members knew her as “Mom,” including Band Director Kody Tickner, who said he grew very close with the Cook’s after joining the band in 2008.
“There’s no way I could have done it on my own,” he said. “I have a lot of good ideas, but Kathy’s powerful driving nature in such a compact, sweet little smile. They’re what made our band and our community what it is.”
Former Citrus Heights city manager Henry Tingle was also in attendance at the Sept. 2 funeral, telling The Sentinel that Cook was “a jewel of the city.” Tingle said he had approached Cook about getting a marching band going for the city’s former Red, White, and Blue parade in the early days of the city.
“Nobody wanted to come to Citrus Heights with their marching bands, so she formed her own marching band, and far exceeded my expectations in terms of what it turned out to be,” Tingle said. “I’m just really so proud of the job she has done. She’s leaving a real legacy for this city.”
Over the years, the all-volunteer band became known for its performances at community events around the region, annually playing at the Citrus Heights Tree Lighting ceremony and organizing a flash-mob at Walmart each December.
Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins, who also attended the funeral Thursday, said she remembered first meeting Cook at City Council meetings, and described her as a giving and loving person who was always thinking of others.
“Her warmth just exuded from her,” Bruins said. “Her laughter and her voice will always be in my head. I always wondered why God never gave them children, because she loved children so much. It left her heart open to embrace everybody and adopt them into her own heart.”
The bugler, Joe Isaacs, played “Amazing Grace” at the conclusion of the service, and then again as Cook’s casket was lowered.
“I miss her,” Isaacs wrote in a tribute to Cook on the band’s social media page. “Such a wonderful human and showed so much love to me and my young family. I will always remember her.”
The band will play on, Bruins said, with plans to continue rehearsals in preparation for future events.
Cook was born in San Francisco in 1949 and later moved to Citrus Heights where she lived for more than 50 years. She passed away on Aug. 25, after a long battle with stomach cancer, the band said in a statement following her passing.
Cook is survived by her husband Bill, as well as her sisters Linda and Jeanette, according to her obituary.
