Bill Cook

Dr. William John Cook (Bill) passed away February 4, 2021, in Downers Grove, IL. Son of Earl Zack and Vera Florence (DePoy) Cook, Bill was born April 12, 1929, in Des Moines. After graduation from Des Moines East High School in 1948, he worked as a machinist before joining the Army in 1951. During his time at Fort Meade, MD, he met Laura Kate Edwards of Sulphur Springs, TN. They were married on May 23, 1953.  

Bill attended Iowa State University, receiving his BS, MS, and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering. He joined the ME faculty in 1958, served on the faculty as a teacher, researcher, and advisor until his retirement as a professor in 2001, and held the honorary title of professor emeritus thereafter.

Bill and Laura made their home in Ames and raised two children there, although many of their summers were spent away as Bill pursued research in various government installations.

Bill was a long and faithful member of Collegiate United Methodist Church, serving on the board of trustees. An avid fixer of all things mechanical, his hobby was hunting, and he delighted in making his own black powder muzzle-loading rifles. He was a member of the Ames Izaak Walton League. One of the joys of his last years in Ames was rebuilding a 1929 Indian motorcycle with his nephew.

Laura and Bill moved from Ames to Downers Grove, IL, in May 2019.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his two brothers, Albert and Harold.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife of over 67 years, Laura; their two children, Sharon (Gerald) Schmidt of Naperville, IL, and Donald (Monica Nehm) Cook of Stanwood, WA; two grandchildren, Willow Cook and Forest Cook; and nieces and nephews, many of whom considered him to be a grandfather.