Obituary of Geoffrey C. Cole

Captain Geoffrey Charles Guy Cole was born on March 19, 1935, at the Hospital for Mother's and Children in Woolich, England. He was the son of Agnes and William Henry, a confectioner in a long-owned family business. During the Second World War he was among the thousands of children evacuated from London, and along with his sister was sent to a small town in western England for the duration of the war. It was there that, as a small child, he met a little girl named Patricia, who would go on to become his wife of 50 years. At age16, Geoff took to sea as a merchant sailor, eventually rising to Master Mariner. Captain Cole loved to travel. As he would tell anyone he met, he "buggered his way from Bangkok to Buenos Aries". He and Patricia married in 1960 and were blessed with two daughters. In search for a better life for his family, he moved to New York in 1964. He worked multiple jobs to save for the day his family could join him. When they were finally reunited they added another daughter and a son and settled in Bulls Head, Staten Island. He founded a successful Marine Surveying business and became a respected figure on the New York waterfront. Family time was precious to him and included long drives, visits to amusement parks and beaches and games like poker, "dead presidents" and bingo. The house was often filled with the sounds of The Captain playing the squeeze box and singing old songs. He was a talented poet and artist. He was a proud lifetime member of the Loyal Order of the Moose and looked forward to spending his retirement at Moosehaven. He served on the board of the YMCA Counseling Service where he spent many years helping families and people burdened with addiction. Captain Cole's American dream was fully realized at the age of 80 when he took his oath and became a proud citizen of these United States. On July 3, 2021 at the age of 86, Geoff passed away in Orange Park, Florida. He was preceded in death by Patricia. He will be missed dearly by his four children Petina Cole, Sarah Feltus, Simon Cole, and Katherine Martuccio, as well as his grandchildren Vanessa, Robert, Daniel Murphy, Heather Ann Black, Forrest Pearce, Alexandra Cole, Abigale Martuccio, Olivia Cole and Noah Martuccio, and great-grandchildren Aiden Black, Peyton Black, Gabriella Robert, Daniel Murphy and Claire Murphy. Fair winds, and following seas WOMOTS!! Memorial visitation will be held at the Matthew Funeral Home, Inc., 2508 Victory Boulevard, on Tuesday, August 3, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. A service will be conducted in the funeral home at 11:00 am, followed by interment of his cremated remains in Ocean View Cemetery.