John Cooke

COOKE, John Warren, 94, of Mathews, died at his home Saturday, November 28, 2009. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, at Ware Episcopal Church, Gloucester. Cooke was born February 28, 1915 in Mathews, a son of the Rev. Giles Buckner Cooke and Katharine Grosh Cooke. A lifelong resident of Mathews, he was educated in local public and private schools, graduating from Lee-Jackson High School in 1932. He attended Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, in 1932 to 1933. Cooke was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1942 to 1980. At the time of his retirement, he represented Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex Counties. He also represented Charles City and New Kent Counties during 1966 to 1972. He was majority leader of the House 1956 to 1968 and Speaker 1968 to 1980. Cooke was the last son of a Confederate veteran to sit in the Virginia General Assembly. During his time in elective office, Cooke served on the Virginia-Maryland Potomac River Commission on the Jamestown Anniversary Commission 1952 to 1982, and as executive committee chairman of the Virginia Civil War Centennial Commission. He also served as a member of the National Legislative Association board of directors, 1970 to 1980. While in office, Cooke received the National Legislative Leaders Association Award (1976), the Gloucester Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award (1979), a Council of State Governments citation, the Liberty Bell Award, the Richmond Bar Association Award and a Virginia Press Association Award. At the conclusion of his service in the General Assembly, Cooke was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from the College of William and Mary in 1980. He was the recipient of a Christopher Newport College medallion in 1986, and an honorary doctor of laws degree from Christopher Newport University in 1992. In 1946 Cooke was elected to the board of Tidewater Newspapers, Incorporated, publishers of the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal. He became president and publisher in 1954, resigning from the presidency in March 2009. Locally, Cooke was a charter member of the first Mathews Rotary Club 1938 and served as its president for two terms. He was president of the former Tidewater Baseball League, chairman of the Mathews Ration and Price Control Board 1943 to 1945, first district chairman of the Young Democrats 1939 to 1940, and former chair of the Mathews County Democratic Committee. He was also on the former board of directors for the Gloucester Country Club, the Tidewater Telephone Company, and the Bank of Gloucester. Following his service in the General Assembly, he became a director of the Tidewater Automobile Association, Norfolk. He was a member of Kingston Episcopal Parish, Mathews, serving on the parish vestry 1938 to 1967. He also served on the boards of the J. Edwin Treakle Foundation, Gloucester; the College of William and Mary Endowment Association, Williamsburg; the Long Bridge Ordinary Foundation, Gloucester; the Mathews Historical Society, Mathews; and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Cooke is survived by his wife, Anne Rawn Cooke of Mathews; daughter, Elsa Cooke Verbyla of Mathews; and son, Giles Buckner Cooke of Williamsburg. The family is receiving friends at the home and has suggested that expressions of sympathy be made in the form of contributions to favorite charities. Foster-Faulkner Funeral Home, Mathews, Virginia is in charge of the arrangements.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.