June Cook

June Lavonne Wilcox Cook, 85, of Perryton, TX, passed away Wednesday, January 6, 2021. A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Monday, January 25, 2021 at the First United Methodist Church of Perryton with Rev. Mark Metzger officiating. Due to COVID 19 guidelines, we will be practicing social distancing and occupancy numbers will be limited. Services will be broadcast live on the Boxwell Brothers Facebook page for those who wish to watch. There is a link on the website (boxwellbros.com) to access the Facebook page.

June Lavonne Wilcox Cook was born in her parent’s home in Bruceville, Texas on March 4, 1935. She was the only child born to Alfonso (Fonnie) Wesley Wilcox and Myrna Taylor Wilcox. She is survived by her husband Tark Cook and children Walter N. Cook, Debra L. Cook, and Mary Nan Cook, as well as, two close cousins Judy Patton Dees and Alice Patton Thomas, and many uncles, aunts, cousins, and Archie. She had many happy memories in Bruceville playing with family and neighbors, taking family trips to places such as Fort Worth and the Gulf Coast beaches, and helping her father with his beekeeping, greyhounds, and fishing. Her mother loved to sew, and June spent her childhood and much of her adulthood, having the most beautiful dresses in town. She loved music and dancing. Her parents gave her the choice of high school basketball, or dance and roller skate lessons, and she chose dancing and roller skating – a passion that stayed with her throughout much of her life.

After graduating from Bruceville-Eddy High School, she attended Baylor University. She was working in the Trust Department of Citizen’s National Bank of Waco when she met her future husband, Tark Cook, a student at Baylor Law School. They were married on April 15, 1966 in Waco and she began a new lifelong career in law by helping her new husband type appellate briefs. She also took flying lessons and involved herself with family by playing around the pool with Walter, Debbie, and Mary Nan, as well as chaperoning Topsy and Zaffrin Brownlee.

When June and Tark took their first trip to the Panhandle, she slept most of the way and woke up just as they topped the caprock between Perryton and Canadian. Gone were the grand old oak trees of central Texas and replaced with first, rolling hills of buffalo grass and later the flatland fields of wheat and milo. She asked, “What happened to the trees?” After Tark graduated from law school in 1967, they moved permanently to Perryton and called a new un-landscaped house on Fordham Street, “Home.” Of course, trees were planted before the house was even fully furnished. Later, they moved to a farm with their children. And, they planted dozens, perhaps hundreds, of trees along with flowers, vegetable gardens, grass, and, of course, wheat.

Besides being a homemaker and mother, June was also the legal secretary and office manager for her husband. Occasionally, she and Tark’s Uncle Jess (Sonny to family), would take off to fly his Beech Bonanza plane. They both loved flying! She also involved herself in many organizations. She was a member of Jennie Junes, Pollyannas, Jaycettes, Red Hat Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Eastern Star, The Perryton Club Board of Directors, Lone Star Pastel Society, IAPS, Museum of the Plains volunteer, Perryton Art Alliance, Sunday school teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church, a devoted member of JUGs and dedicated patron of Amarillo Symphony. At the symphony, besides being a patron, she kept the best seats in the house and, for many years, attended every performance of the season. Between all these activities, she shuttled her children and other children to camps (such as Ceta Glen), horse shows, school activities, 4-H, basketball games, and other school functions. She was also served as Justice of the Peace for Ochiltree County Precinct 4.

June’s children, husband, and family held a prominent position in her heart. At the same time, June was an accomplished artist. Her friends and family have many examples of her work to serve as precious reminders of her memory. She worked with (and excelled with) watercolors, oils, china painting, needlepoint, flower arrangement (she could often be found at Edna’s Flower Shop arranging flowers), and sculpture before settling on pastels. She loved painting landscapes, portraits, and still life. She even converted a vacant office into an art gallery and proudly hosted tours.
For many years, each week was scheduled around, “Going to the Yellow House.” The “Yellow House” was a lovely old clapboard yellow house in Lipscomb, Texas. It was there that she painted with friends, some of which included Carol Reid, Mary Lou Jones, Jan Luna, and Debby Opdyke. She studied under artists such as Albert Handel, Ben Konis, Amy Winton, Stephan Kramer, Doug Dawson, Marilyn Yanke, and many more.

June brought many treasures to the top of the Texas Panhandle from central Texas. Besides the good graces of southern hospitality, she brought laughter, love, music, art, and style; particularly to a family who was not far from the rough and tough pioneer days. We will always hold her love very close to our hearts.

The family respectfully requests in lieu of flowers or food that memorial be donated to the Museum of the Plains, 1200 N Main St, Perryton, TX 79070 or to Perryton High School Art Collection Board, PO 1046, Perryton TX 79070.