COOK, Jr., Robert Word "Bob"
Born November 15, 1924, in Lillington, North Carolina, and passed away on January 4, 2024. His father was Robert Word Cook and mother was Grace Braselton Cook, both predeceased; and two younger brothers, Joseph Braselton "Joe" Cook, and John Richard "Dick" Cook also predeceased. At the age of one, he and his family moved to Atlanta. He attended SMI elementary school in Atlanta, and when the family moved to Norfolk, Virginia, in 1936, he attended GEB School and Granby High School. After high school he attended the Citadel in Charleston, for one year and then was drafted into the Army, in 1943.
Bob served 2 1/2 years during World War II in the 1364th Military Police Company. His company sailed from Wilmington, CA, on the SS Mariposa and landed in Bombay (Mumbai) India, in early 1944. Eventually they arrived at the Assam Valley of India near Dibrugarh. In November he flew over the "hump" (lower part of the Himalayan mountains) landing in Kunming, China and eventually Chengdu in northern China. His B29s bombed Japan from Chengdu, a round-trip of 3000 miles. As the Japanese retreated to the coast, his company arrived in Shanghai and a waiting aircraft carrier to ferry them home in January 1946.
In March 1946, Bob attended Georgia Tech and studied textile engineering, graduating in 1950. He worked in Gainesville, for Chicopee Mills, a part of Johnson & Johnson for 17 years. In 1960, Chicopee transferred Bob and his family to Atlanta, to liaison with a small company that made baby apparel called Rafer. Deciding that he and his family did not want to move back to Gainesville, Bob worked with Atlanta Stove Works eventually becoming distribution manager. After retiring in 1984, Bob served his church, Northside United Methodist for nine years as Building Superintendent, completely retiring in 1995.
He is survived by his absolutely adorable wife, "Mady" of 68 years; and his wonderful family, Robert R. Cook and spouse, Joseph Lee Henson, Reginald D. Cook and his spouse, Wendy Olley Cook, and Caroline "Cady" Carnes and her husband, James "Jerry" Carnes; five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Mady and Bob traveled extensively all over the world and the United States during the past 25 years and recently completed a 16 day cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Rome, Italy, in 2022. He never failed to put a jigsaw puzzle together if he started it! Bob moved to Corso, Atlanta, in October, 2022, and he thoroughly enjoyed his time there.
Services will be held at Northside United Methodist Church on January 14, 2024, at 2:00 PM, followed by a reception at the church. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org in lieu of flowers.
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