John Delmont Cook

SHREVEPORT, LA - John Delmont Cook, age 83, died Sunday, Sept. 23, at Willis Knighton Pierremont Hospital, after a recent illness. He was a resident of Savannah at the Oaks in Shreveport, LA and lived in Haughton, LA for many years.

Born in Berwick, Nova Scotia, he was the son of Maxwell Cook and Fern Grable. John grew up in a large family in Corydon, IN, becoming a US citizen at 12. He married Virginia (Ginny) Wolf in 1950 at Purdue University, where they both attended college and he was a member of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War and lived many places throughout the US over the years. For most of his career, he was employed in Human Resources, working for Roper Corp., Marlin Rockwell/TRW, Topps Chewing Gum, and Morton Thiokol at the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant in Minden.

A member of the First United Methodist Church in Shreveport, John was very active in local theater, the Bossier Arts Council and the Gilbert & Sullivan Society; appeared in movies, plays and television; worked with the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, and sang with many choirs and singing groups nationwide.

He is predeceased by his wife Ginny, his brother Frank Cook and his half-sister Clarice Bennett. John is survived by his daughter Laurie Philpot and her husband Vince Philpot of Mary Esther, FL; son William Cook of Kingston, PA; daughter Julie Cook and her husband Kevin Bowe of West Newbury, MA; granddaughter Amy Tarreto and Kaitlyn Cook; half-siblings Carl Boley, Patricia Hite, William Boley, Carol Proffitt, and Jim Boley; and his beloved cat Sam.

A memorial service will take place at the Couch Chapel at First United Methodist Church in Shreveport on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 at 2 p.m. A reception for friends and family will be held later on Thursday at the Hill Crest Funeral Home in Haughton, LA from 5-8 p.m. A private service for family and friends will be arranged with internment in Indiana. For more information, please call 318-949-9415. Memorial donations can be made to Purdue Musical Organizations in West Lafayette, IN or the Bossier Arts Council in Bossier City, LA.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family be visiting www.hillcrestmemorialfh.com.