Coquette (Coco) Elliott passed away in the late hours of June 10, 2025. Coco was born June 28, 1959, in Chicago, Illinois to Lorraine and William “Tex” Elliott and was raised in Lincolnwood, Illinois. She is survived by partner of thirty years Michael “Mikey” Lesniak, sister Georgyann “Gigi” (Elliott) Wernikoff, brother-in-law Steve Wernikoff, niblings, Becky Beucher, Michael Beucher (Elysia Ringwald), Natalie Myszka (Matthew), Lauren Rosen (Steven), Jodi Wernikoff and grand-niblings, Walter Myszka, Tyler Rosen and Kylie Rosen. Coco attended Niles West High School, Skokie, Illinois and graduated from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences and subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Biology from Loyola University in Chicago, while working as a Radiology Technologist specializing in MRI, at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.

After finishing her master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago, Coco and Mikey moved to Southern California. Coco taught high school biology in east Los Angeles at Sacred Heart High School while pursuing a second master’s degree in Secondary Science Education at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Mikey and Coco moved with their animals to northern California where they purchased five acres in Oroville, CA. Here, they established a farm where they hand raised parrots, chickens, guinea hens, dogs, cats, donkeys, goats, llamas, horses, a squirrel and a cow. Coco’s animals were her children; all were given a good life that included her making the animals specialized homemade food and providing ongoing medical care.

In Oroville, Coco worked at Mooretown Rancheria as Education Director while earning her third Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from California State University, Chico, California. She co-founded Ipakanni Early College Charter School, in Oroville, California in 2010, a school serving predominantly Concow Maidu of Mooretown Rancheria youth with a standards aligned and culturally enriched curriculum. Throughout her career, Coco educated hundreds of youth, and worked tirelessly to ensure that the youth she worked with acquired the knowledge and financial resources necessary to pursue their educational aspirations. Many of the students she worked with have continued on to earn advanced degrees at prestigious California universities.

Coco had an infectious sense of humor, a thirst for knowledge, and was always surrounded by love. Her passion for working with animals began in childhood and was the inspiration for her farm in Oroville.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to “Mooretown Rancheria” c/o Coco Elliott.

Contributions will be matched by the Tribal Council and will go into the Coco Elliott Veterinary Medicine Scholarship Fund. This fund will support a student with their educational expenses related to pursuing veterinary medicine.

For convenience, donations can be made to this GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/1b75e43a

Checks / money orders can be mailed to: 1 Alverda Dr, Oroville, CA 95966 or call: 530-533-3625 re: Debbie Edwards

Checks can be made out to: “Mooretown Rancheria” in the memo write, “Coco Elliott Scholarship Fund” 

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