Obit: Cook, Gene F. #2 (1931 - 2007)

Contact: Audrey Roedl
Email: audero@charter.net

Surnames: Cook, Pratt Rottjer, Boardsen

----Sources: Loyal TRG 19 September 2007

Cook, Gene F. #2 (19 APR 1931 - 8 SEP 2007)

Gene F. Cook, 76, Marshfield, died on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, in Palliative Care, at Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield. Visitation will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22 at Faith Lutheran Church, Marshfield, from 10 a.m. until time of a memorial service at noon. The rev. Trisha Turner will officiate. His cremains will rest at the Loyal Cemetery.

Gene Francis Cook was born on April 19, 1931, in Hammond, to Harold and Beth (nee Pratt) Cook. He was raised and educated in Loyal, graduating from Loyal High School in 1949. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and served his country from 1951-53, devoting 18 months of duty to service in Korea. He married Janet Rottjer on Oct 10, 1953, at the Loyal United Methodist Church. He attended UW-Whitewater graduating with a B.S. degree in business education in 1959. He taught high school in Edgerton, until moving to Waukesha in 1960. He was employed at Waukesha County Technical College and also attended UW-Madison, where he earned his M.S. degree in 1969. He remained at Waukesha County Technical College for 31 years, until his retirement as dean of the business division, in 1991. He spent his retirement at Lake Camelot, in the town of Rome, and moved in 2004 to Marshfield to be closer to family. He was very active in several state professional organizations, promoting and supporting vocational, technical and adult education. He volunteered as a tutor in the Basic Adult Education program at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, and in the Reading Buddy program at Pineland Elementary School, Friendship. He also contributed many volunteer hours to his church, Woodland Lutheran Church, and served on the water utility board in the town of Rome. He became an accomplished watercolor artist, enjoyed stained glass creations, and loved to travel and spend time at their home, at Lake Camelot, water-skiing, fishing, and entertaining friends and family.

He will be sadly missed by his wife, Janet, Marshfield; two children, Joel (Elizabeth) Cook, Ripon, and Jon (partner Eric Boardsen), Columbus, Ohio; two grandchildren, Lauren and Hunter; his mother, Beth Cook-Marvin, Loyal; four brothers, Roy (Darlene) Cook, Marshfield, Larry (Alice) Cook, Loyal, Lee (Carol) Cook, Lyndon Station, and Dennis (Ruth) Cook, Loyal; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Preceding him in death were his father; his step-father, Harry Marvin; and one sister, Fern Alan.

His family truly appreciates the love, care and concern of the doctors and staff of the eighth floor cancer care, Palliative Care and chemotherapy at Saint Joseph’s Hospital and Marshfield Clinic.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests that memorials be given to Waukesha County Technical College, for a school, for a scholarship that will be set up at a later date.

Cuddie Funeral Home, Loyal, is assisting the family with arrangements.