ROBERT LEE COOK

 12/14/1941 -08/19/2026

Robert Lee Cook

Robert (Bob) Lee Cook  Beloved Husband, Father, Poppy, and Papa
Bob passed away peacefully in his sleep the evening of August 19.

He was born in Niles, Michigan to Ernest and Roberta (Freeze) Cook. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Gayle (Kehm) Cook of Denton, Texas; sons Brian (Tammy) Cook of Bedford, Texas and David Cook of Waxhaw, North Carolina; grandchildren Ashley Cook, Davis Cook, and Carter Cook; great grandchildren, Gray and Camdyn; daughter Kymm (Sam) Farrar of Bland, Missouri; grandchildren, Danielle (Chris) Truba, and Samantha (Cameron) Davis. He was preceded in death by both his parents and two brothers, Edward and Richard.

Bob graduated from Niles High School in 1960. He joined the Navy during the Vietnam war and was chosen to go to Officer Candidacy School where he became a Navy pilot. He flew the S-2 Tracker off the USS Kearsarge in the Gulf of Tonkin as a Plane Commander. When he completed his service in the Navy as a Lieutenant, he attended Michigan State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He was hired by TWA in 1968 and worked there until he retired in 2001 as a Captain. He flew 727’s, MD-80’s, L1011’s, 757’s and 767’s. He was a check airman and flight instructor that influenced many of the pilots that worked at TWA. He traveled the world with his career and took his family on vacations most people could only dream of.

He owned Bob’s Bike Shop in Niles, Michigan from 1974 -1976. He served on the school board for Niles Public Schools from 1983 – 1987.

He was an avid golfer. He spent many days on the course, even hitting a hole in one in 2018 at Crane Creek Golf Course in Melbourne, Florida.

He was fun to be around; always had a story to tell when he got home from a trip, and always had a good joke or witty come back.

Bob and his wife, Gayle, and their dog, Brandi, traveled around the country in their Winnebago for several years after he retired from TWA. They saw Niagara Falls, Mount Rushmore, the Four Corners, and the balloon race in New Mexico. They were able to go to all but four states in the continental US.

Bob will be laid to rest at Dallas – Fort Worth National Cemetery.