John W. Cook Jr.'s Obituary
John Weeks Cook, Jr. of Mount Dora, Florida passed away peacefully on December 11, 2012 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. John was the only child of Edith (nee Ewing) and John Weeks Cook, Sr. The first half of his life was spent in Holyoke, Massachusetts where he grew up and raised a family.As a Holyoke High School graduate in 1945, he joined the Navy to see what the world had to offer. He served near the end of WWII at the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and returned to his hometown at the end of his tour of duty. In 1951, he married the love of his life, Joan Sfoungaras, from Deerfield, Massachusetts, and in the following five years had three children, Sandra, David and Susan. During the 1950's and 60's, John worked alongside his father in the lithography business and was an active parishioner at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. For many years, John, also known as "Joe", was an active member of St. Paul's Saints and Sinners Club and the Sea Scouts. An intensely curious student of life, he pursued many hobbies as a young family man in Holyoke, including photography, fishing, winter sports, wood carving and antique collecting. An extremely talented and prolific wood worker, John made beautifully crafted furniture and carved many extraordinary pieces (bearing likenesses of whales, eagles and the like) for his friends. Like his father before him, he had a deep appreciation for all genres of music, counting classical and big band music as his favorites. He loved the ocean and spent several weeks every summer at the beach with his family on the tip of Cape Cod. This passion for all things nautical led him to relocate his family to Florida so that all could enjoy time at the beach year round. In 1969, the Cook family moved to Miami, Florida, where John continued working as a lithographer and devoting time to his many interests. He added Chinese and Caribbean cooking, star gazing, beach combing (including searching for antique bottles in muddy mangroves wearing thigh high waders) and scuba diving to his expanding roster of hobbies. He was most passionate about this last new hobby once remarking that being underwater brought him "closer to God in a different kind of church."The 1970's and 80's were active and productive years full of friends and exotic travels. A trip to Scotland piqued John's interest in his Scottish heritage and led him to join the Miami chapter of the Scottish American Society. This, in turn, led him to visit Scottish American gatherings around the State of Florida and discover the friendly, quaint and charming town of Mt. Dora. Seeking a quiet but thriving place to retire, John and Joan happily settled in Mt. Dora in 1995. They embraced their new community and attended many Chamber of Commerce meetings and other community gatherings. John went on to join the local Scottish American Society and found enjoyment building set designs for the Ice House Theater. John had a full and rewarding life as a devoted husband and father. Along with his gentle and congenial nature, he will be remembered for his innate curiosity and love of the ocean, astronomy, music, wood-working and lakeside walks. John is survived by his loving wife of over 60 years, Joan, and his three children: Sandra Hinton of Anaheim, California; David Cook of Mt. Dora, Florida; and Susan Cook (Fine) of Manhattan, New York; as well as his devoted daughter-in-law, David's wife Marty Cook and his supportive son-in-law, Susan's husband Drew Fine. He also leaves five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and, not to be forgotten, beloved dog, Bobbie.You may leave online condolences at www.hamlinhilbish.com
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