Joe Allen Cook

Joe Allen Cook, 85, of Dallas passed away on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at his daughter’s residence in Carrollton, TX. He will always be remembered as a loving husband, a wonderful father, and the best grandfather in the world. He loved his parents and his brother and sisters. He was everybody’s favorite uncle. He was a friend to all and he never met a stranger.

He was born in Fort Worth, TX on July 12, 1930 to Joseph and Ruth Cook. He was the oldest son of five children and the second born. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Margaret Ann, in 2004. Survivors include his daughter Cidney Ayotte and husband Arthur; his sisters Ann Wiley and Carolyn Kelley; his grandsons Brian, Nathan, and Benjamin Nichols. Also surviving are beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of friends.

He worked for Southwest Tablet for many years printing Aladdin school notebooks and tablets. Who hasn’t used a Big Chief tablet? Well Joe probably printed it!

He loved rocks, too. The man was always looking down in case he spied a rock that looked interesting. His house and backyard are full of rocks and minerals that he collected over his lifetime. He not only collected them but he also liked to cut geodes open, slice agates into slabs, and tumble and polish ordinary rocks until they were shiny and smooth. He made clocks, wind chimes, and book ends under the pretense that he was going to sell them but he had a hard time parting with them. He loved looking for arrowheads and fossils and often took his grandsons out rock hunting when they were younger.

He enjoyed walking the parks and open spaces with his niece, Mary Louise Phinney, making sure there were no squatters or poachers on the public land. They met some interesting characters along the way and had a few scary encounters, too.

Joe Cook enjoyed simple things. He often sat outside in his backyard surrounded by his pack of dogs. He would crack pecans open with his strong, bare hands. He would eat a few and toss a few to the slobbering hounds. Or, he would sit in his driveway, on the tailgate of his pick-up truck, cracking pecans and chatting up the neighbors. He lived in the same house since 1968 and he was the last of the original neighbors. He raised his only daughter and three grandsons in that house. Only memories will remain but they will not fade...they will only serve to remind us of the love and kindness that Joe and Margaret had for one another and their family.

He was an amateur cryptozoologist, interested in Bigfoot, Chupacabras, and any strange creature that washed up on a shore. He was pretty sure that aliens placed us on the planet Earth, but he still believed in Jesus Christ...he said he was hedging his bets. He loved his cable television and watched the same shows over and over until he spoke of the characters as if he knew them personally. He knew the gold diggers, the lumberjacks, the alligator hunters, and the fishing boat captains by name. He cried when Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, was killed.

He was proud of his grandsons and went to most of their practices and all of their games or events. He liked nothing more than to see his grandsons pitch a baseball, play basketball, or participate in track meets. Joe and Margaret were well known as enthusiastic spectators!

Everybody that met Joe Cook would eventually discover that he was the uncle of Jimmie and Stevie Vaughan. He was devastated when Stevie died. He started writing poetry to ease the pain and these beautiful tributes are a reminder of the gentle soul that was Uncle Joe. In the 50’s, he loved to take young Little Jim with him for rides and would point out the different makes and models of passing cars. He instilled in Jimmie a love of cars that he has to this day. Joe liked his music loud and when he listened to the Vaughan brothers the neighbors did too!

Joe Cook will be fondly remembered by all those who knew and loved him. He touched so many lives and was a positive influence on many... He didn’t drink and he didn’t chew and he didn’t go with the girls who do!

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:30 pm at St. Monica Catholic Church, 9033 Midway Rd, Dallas, TX on Thursday, April 14, 2016. Burial will follow in Calvary Hill Cemetery, Dallas, TX. The family will receive friends at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at Sparkman/Hillcrest Northwest Chapel, 7405 W. Northwest Hwy. Dallas, TX with a Rosary starting at 7:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to the animal shelter or charity of your choice. Online condolences can be made at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com.

Joe, as your nephew so eloquently stated many years ago, “Thank you for the love you passed our way”.