SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 521
In Memory
of
Jerry Donald Cook
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
commemorates the remarkable life of Jerry Donald Cook, who died
on January 7, 2023, at the age of 83; and
WHEREAS, Don Cook was born in 1939 in Dallas, and from an
early age, he possessed a passion for serving others and a great
appreciation for nature and the outdoors; he achieved the
prestigious rank of Eagle Scout as a youth, and he graduated from
Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth in 1958 before earning a
degree in economics from Texas A&M University; he went on to
later earn master's degrees in public administration from
American University in Washington, D.C., and from Harvard
University's John F. Kennedy School of Government; and
WHEREAS, Inspired as a young man by President Kennedy's
famous call to service in the name of country, Don accepted a
position with the United States Employment Service office and
later worked for NASA and the Peace Corps before serving with the
Environmental Protection Agency; Don joined the District of
Columbia National Guard in 1963, and his calm disposition and
reflective nature were an asset to him during his training as a
fighter pilot; and
WHEREAS, Don was called to serve during the Pueblo crisis
in 1968 and spent a year serving as a fighter pilot in South
Korea, where he flew an F-100 jet; after returning from his
military service abroad, he continued serving in the D.C.
National Guard for nine years, and he later served for nearly a
decade in the Texas State Guard before retiring as a lieutenant
colonel; in the 1970s, Don continued to devote himself to public
service as an intern in the office of United States Democratic
Representative J. J. "Jake" Pickle; and
WHEREAS, In 1989, Don retired from the Environmental
Protection Agency and returned to Texas, where he worked for the
General Land Office in Austin and later served as a cancer
educator with The University of Texas MD Anderson Health Science
Center in Smithville; in addition to his professional endeavors,
Don was active in numerous charitable and community
organizations, including the Rotary Club of Austin and Capital
City Village, and he volunteered as a Boy Scout troop leader and
served on a number of environmental and educational committees;
and
WHEREAS, Don was a devoted husband to Peggy Pickle, his
wife of 33 years, and he was a loving father to his daughters,
Kelly Cook Newman and Rebecca Cook Wallace, and to his
stepdaughter, Bergan Casey; he was blessed with five
grandchildren, who enriched his life immeasurably; and
WHEREAS, Don gave generously of his energy, time, and
talents to help others throughout his life, and he was firm in his
convictions and ideals as a lifelong Democrat and
environmentalist; above all, he cherished his family, and he was
a source of strength and inspiration in the lives of those who
knew him; he leaves a legacy of service and achievement that sets
a shining example for others to follow, and his memory will be
forever treasured by his loving family members and by all who
were privileged to share in his life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
family of Jerry Donald Cook; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
memory of Don Cook.
Eckhardt
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 8, 2023, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate