Donald E. Cook died peacefully on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 at Wilmington Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware after a brief illness.
Born in Syracuse, NY on Mar. 1, 1930, he was the son of the late Herbert A. and Mary A. (Morris) Cook. He attended Syracuse public schools and North High School while working as a delivery boy and soda jerk at the local neighborhood pharmacy. He went on to graduate from Le Moyne College with a degree in accounting while working at Liverpool (New York) Lumber. A Korean war veteran, he proudly served his country in the U.S. Army.
Upon his return from active duty, he married his true love Donna Ann. They recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. Together, they raised two sons in Liverpool, NY. A hard working and meticulous man, he was an accountant for Western Electric (AT&T) in Syracuse, NY and Roswell, GA for 32 years, until retiring in 1987. They remained in Georgia until 2002 and then moved to Garnet Valley, PA, to the joy of their family in nearby Wilmington, DE.
A self-made man, he enjoyed solving problems and engineering solutions in the DIY (Do It Yourself) fashion. With a generous and kind heart, he would make and gift handcrafted treasures including a beautiful baby cradle and toy boxes for his two grandchildren. He not only enjoyed building with his hands, but also valued building up the spirits of those around him as a deacon, elder and treasurer in several church communities including Westminster Presbyterian Church (Syracuse), Northbrook United Methodist Church (Roswell) and, most recently, Trinity Presbyterian Church (Wilmington).
His outwardly quiet nature belied his delight in socializing with friends and family. He enjoyed participating in “The Trinity Thursday Work Crew”, church bowling leagues, weekly pool nights in the club house, volunteering for coffee & donuts, playing golf and playing bridge.
He leaves behind his beloved wife, Donna Cook; sons Steven, and his wife Stacey, of Sudbury, MA, and Thomas of Claymont, DE; and grandchildren Christopher and Samantha. He was predeceased by his brothers, Herbert and Richard.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 am on 11/22/2022 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1120 Darley Rd, Wilmington, DE 19810. Services will also be live streamed. To access the live stream use the following link: https://youtu.be/BsZFzJ1UeXk. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Trinity Memorial Fund on his behalf. To send condolences visit: www.mccreryandharra.com.
