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IN LOVING MEMORY OF
John R.
"Bob" Cook
August 10, 1937 – November 24, 2016
Obituary
Memorial services for Dr. John R. "Bob" Cook, 79, of Livingston, Texas will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 2016 in the First United Methodist Church in Livingston, Texas with Rev. Steve Woody and Rev. James Frazier officiating.
Dr. John R. "Bob" Cook passed away at the age of 79 at his home in Livingston, Texas on November 24, 2016 from complications of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative brain disease that has no known cause, treatment or cure. He was born in August 1937 to John Bunyan "J.B." Cook and Ruth Marsh Cook at the original Memorial Hospital in downtown Houston.
Young Bob grew up in Livingston, attending local public schools and helping out with the family business, The White Kitchen Cafe in downtown Livingston. Upon graduation from Livingston High School, he enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, along with his cousin and roommate Jerry Marsh of Livingston. He later graduated from The University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston in 1961. Bob then served two years in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Amarillo, Texas, where he attained the rank of Captain.
He married Patricia A. "Pat" Smith in 1961 and the couple settled in Livingston after Bob's service in the military was completed. Dr. Cook served the local community through his dental practice in Livingston from 1963 to 2002, and became a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry in 1986, after completing extensive advanced study in the field.
Bob served the City of Livingston as a Councilman from 1970 to 1984. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors for The Bank of Livingston from 1990 until the bank merged with First National Bank of Livingston. He was an active member of Livingston First United Methodist Church since 1965, and was a longtime member of the Livingston Lion's Club, in which he especially enjoyed working the club's Mop & Broom Sale and Christmas tree lot. In 1999, Dr. Cook was honored with an Outstanding Graduate Award from Livingston High School.
After retiring, Dr. Cook worked for Holland America Cruise Line as a ship's dentist and Dr. and Mrs. Cook also traveled extensively often with friends, by land and by sea, striking up many new friendships with Bob's introduction, "I'm Bob, this is Pat and we're the Cooks." Also in retirement, Bob volunteered for MannaFest Food Pantry in Livingston for almost 10 years and was named Mannafest's Volunteer of the Year in 2007.
Dr. Bob Cook was also a fixture in the local wine tasting club, Poco Vino, leading the tasting program from 1995 to 2013. He was an avid golfer for much of his life and after retirement was a member of the Cen-Tex Grasshoppers senior golf group. He held a lifelong interest in U.S. military aviation history and read countless volumes on the subject. In all of his pursuits, Bob shared his joy for life and humor, and was known for compassion and respect for others, as well as his unmistakable voice that carried across any room, even when whispering.
He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Pat Cook of Livingston; son David Cook of Hickory Creek, Texas; daughter Sandra Cook of Houston; grandsons Jared and Kyle Cook of Hickory Creek; in-laws Steve and Sandy Geery of Lake Dallas; cousins Jerry and Mona Rae Marsh of Livingston; Linda Sue Trichell of Huntsville; and great nephews Stephen Manning of Houston and Craig Manning of Livingston.
Dr. Cook is preceded in death by his parents J.B. and Ruth Cook, sister Edna Ruth "Cookie" Manning, brother-in-law Jack C. Manning, nephews John Michael Manning, Ken Manning and Mark Manning, and daughter-in-law Sarah Fish Cook.
The family requests that memorial donations be made to CurePSP.org, the Jimmy Phillips Endowment Fund - First United Methodist Church of Livingston, (P.O. Box 1638, Livingston, TX 77351), or the charity of your choice. The Cook family offers its heartfelt thanks to Dr. Raymond Luna and staff, Bea Ellis and staff at Livingston Physical Therapy, the staff of Gentiva Hospice and A+ Sitting Service, and especially to Richard Randolph for all of their invaluable assistance, tremendous kindness and dedication.
Dr. John R. "Bob" Cook passed away at the age of 79 at his home in Livingston, Texas on November 24, 2016 from complications of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative brain disease that has no known cause, treatment or cure. He was born in August 1937 to John Bunyan "J.B." Cook and Ruth Marsh Cook at the original Memorial Hospital in downtown Houston.
Young Bob grew up in Livingston, attending local public schools and helping out with the family business, The White Kitchen Cafe in downtown Livingston. Upon graduation from Livingston High School, he enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, along with his cousin and roommate Jerry Marsh of Livingston. He later graduated from The University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston in 1961. Bob then served two years in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Amarillo, Texas, where he attained the rank of Captain.
He married Patricia A. "Pat" Smith in 1961 and the couple settled in Livingston after Bob's service in the military was completed. Dr. Cook served the local community through his dental practice in Livingston from 1963 to 2002, and became a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry in 1986, after completing extensive advanced study in the field.
Bob served the City of Livingston as a Councilman from 1970 to 1984. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors for The Bank of Livingston from 1990 until the bank merged with First National Bank of Livingston. He was an active member of Livingston First United Methodist Church since 1965, and was a longtime member of the Livingston Lion's Club, in which he especially enjoyed working the club's Mop & Broom Sale and Christmas tree lot. In 1999, Dr. Cook was honored with an Outstanding Graduate Award from Livingston High School.
After retiring, Dr. Cook worked for Holland America Cruise Line as a ship's dentist and Dr. and Mrs. Cook also traveled extensively often with friends, by land and by sea, striking up many new friendships with Bob's introduction, "I'm Bob, this is Pat and we're the Cooks." Also in retirement, Bob volunteered for MannaFest Food Pantry in Livingston for almost 10 years and was named Mannafest's Volunteer of the Year in 2007.
Dr. Bob Cook was also a fixture in the local wine tasting club, Poco Vino, leading the tasting program from 1995 to 2013. He was an avid golfer for much of his life and after retirement was a member of the Cen-Tex Grasshoppers senior golf group. He held a lifelong interest in U.S. military aviation history and read countless volumes on the subject. In all of his pursuits, Bob shared his joy for life and humor, and was known for compassion and respect for others, as well as his unmistakable voice that carried across any room, even when whispering.
He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Pat Cook of Livingston; son David Cook of Hickory Creek, Texas; daughter Sandra Cook of Houston; grandsons Jared and Kyle Cook of Hickory Creek; in-laws Steve and Sandy Geery of Lake Dallas; cousins Jerry and Mona Rae Marsh of Livingston; Linda Sue Trichell of Huntsville; and great nephews Stephen Manning of Houston and Craig Manning of Livingston.
Dr. Cook is preceded in death by his parents J.B. and Ruth Cook, sister Edna Ruth "Cookie" Manning, brother-in-law Jack C. Manning, nephews John Michael Manning, Ken Manning and Mark Manning, and daughter-in-law Sarah Fish Cook.
The family requests that memorial donations be made to CurePSP.org, the Jimmy Phillips Endowment Fund - First United Methodist Church of Livingston, (P.O. Box 1638, Livingston, TX 77351), or the charity of your choice. The Cook family offers its heartfelt thanks to Dr. Raymond Luna and staff, Bea Ellis and staff at Livingston Physical Therapy, the staff of Gentiva Hospice and A+ Sitting Service, and especially to Richard Randolph for all of their invaluable assistance, tremendous kindness and dedication.
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