Eldon Braxton Cook

ELDON BRAXTON COOK

Eldon Braxton Cook, known to his family and close friends affectionately as Braxton, 65 years old, passed away on December 21, 2025 at home in Belton, Missouri with his wife of 42 years, Jackie, and family by his side. He was born on September 24, 1960 in Aurora, Missouri to Eldon and Claudia Cook. He was the youngest of their eight children.

Braxton grew up in a small, two-bedroom house in Logan, Missouri. Though the family had little in material wealth, they were rich with love. Braxton often recounted stories of the time he lovingly spent with his parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives and his friends. He enjoyed those pleasant days, whether it was helping to raise the chickens that the family depended on for food, picking apples at the Herndon Orchard, looking for crawfish at a nearby pond or playing with his dog Loggie.

Braxton graduated from Marionville High School and attended the University of Missouri, Kansas City where he graduated with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biology. In the early 1980's, while working at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Braxton became involved in the burgeoning area of sleep disorders treatment. His career led him to manage sleep disorders labs at local hospitals, travel throughout the United States and the world marketing and educating medical professionals on new and developing sleep disorder products, running a sleep lab started by he and Dr. Joseph Henry located at North Kansas City Hospital, teaching polysomnography/sleep technology at Johnson County, Kansas Community College and completing his career by working with his friend Cory Allnutt in the Sleep Disorders Lab at Olathe Medical Center.

Braxton enjoyed spending time with his family. He volunteered as a coach for his children's first seasons of soccer and was active, along with his son, in Boy Scouts, Troop 210. He recounted many delightful, fun and sometimes challenging camping trips to H. Roe Bartle Boy Scout Reservation near Osceola, Missouri. These trips always included the famous Peach Nehi ice cream floats at Iconium's Scott's General Store. He was an avid fan of his children's sports, whether it was soccer, football, basketball, track or tennis. Braxton and Jackie loved scuba diving and created many memories on their several trips to Key West, Belize, Cozumel, Grand Caymon, and Roatan. They also appreciated taking numerous baseball trips throughout the United States with a group of friends called the Party Animals. During his spare time, when not gardening or working in the yard, Braxton also enjoyed finding the most humorous or bizarre cat videos on social media and sharing them with his family and friends. His greatest pride and joy was his cat, Boots, who he found as a kitten, nursed to health, and then cherished for over twenty years.

Braxton was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Roger, Ronnie and Jerry and two sisters, Kay Herndon and Sara Fugitt. He is survived and missed by his wife, Jackie; son, Dr. Daniel Cook (Brooke) of Iowa City, Iowa; daughter Lauren Lovetere Esq. (Cody), Overland Park, Kansas; four grandchildren, Chloe, Luca, Olivia and Eliana; his sister Kathy Roller (Alen) of Bruner, Missouri; and his brother, Larry Cook (Carol) of Marionville, Missouri. Numerous cousins, nephews, nieces and great friends also are missing him as well.

A private service will be held by the family. Donations may be made in memory of Eldon Braxton Cook to the American Cancer Society, by mail to P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741 or online at https://www.cancer.org.

Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Inc., Raymore, Missouri 816.322.5278