Mary James, 62, of Walnut Creek, California, passed on December 02, 2020. Mary was born in Appleton, Wisconsin on November 25, 1958 to George & Grayce(Fischer) Dedering. She lived in Neenah, WI & Tucker, GA until her family moved to CA in the summer of 1973. She married Mike Cook in 1978, who proceeded her death in 2012. She worked as a professional nail technician for many years and was very successful. She married Herb James in 1995, who proceeded her death in 2014. Mary had a heart of gold. Her strength was demonstrated through her perseverance and zest for life. She found joy in the little things, but most of all in her family. She was best known for her nurturing nature, her sweet smile and contagious laugh. She turned her passion for cooking and baking into her career where she retired as a cook for Northgate Highschool. She loved her students and they often referred to her as Mary the "Snack Shack Lady". She gifted joy to others through her cooking. She was sugar, spice and everything nice! She was rarely rattled and met every grievance with compassion, love and understanding. She had a welcoming aura and brought a smile to everyone that knew her. She is survived by her son Jason Cook(Lindsey), her daughter Sydney Staudt, two grandsons Landon & Logan, her sister Donna and three brothers Dan, Chris, Tim and countless nieces and nephews. Mary was a true angel and will be missed by many. A celebration of life will be held on Dec 2, 2022 at 12:30 pm at Queen of Heaven Cemetary in Lafayette, CA.