Nancy Wilson Cook

Kenton, Del. - Former Delaware State Senator Nancy Wilson Cook passed away on Monday, March 23, 2026, at the age of 89 years, surrounded by family and loved ones. She served as a member of the Delaware State Senate for more than 36 years but had been in public service in various capacities for a total of nearly six decades.

Senator Cook was born in Philadelphia on May 11, 1936, the elder of the two daughters of Thomas J. Wilson and his wife, the former Isabella "Friel". She was raised largely in New Castle County, Delaware, living first in Newark and then in New Castle, where her parents operated a grocery store for some 25 years. She graduated from William Penn High School with the Class of 1954 and went on to attend the University of Delaware.

Fascinated by politics for much of her life, Nancy's first direct involvement with the legislative process occurred when she came to Legislative Hall in the late 1950's as an attaché to the late Senator Calvin McCullough. As such, she saw the General Assembly in action some 15 years before her own election to public office, at a time when Delaware government was vastly different from its present size and shape. That experience together with her later marriage to Senator Allen J. Cook, Sr., a former Senate President Pro Tempore, coupled with her own years as a senator gave unparalleled experience in Delaware government.

She represented Kent County's 15th Senatorial District beginning in February 1974, when she won a special election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of her husband, Senator Allen Cook. After service in the House and as Kent County Sheriff, he had been elected to the Senate in 1956, serving until his death. Between the two, they held the 15th District Senate seat for more than half a century. Nancy served in the Senate for 36 years. During her Senate career, she served in several leadership positions, including that of Majority Whip. All told, she was the longest-serving female legislator in Delaware history. She was also the first Democratic woman elected to the Delaware State Senate.

As a state senator, Nancy focused much of her effort on the realm of state finance, serving as the longtime co-chairman of the General Assembly's Joint Finance Committee and as a member and longtime chairman of the Joint Capital Bond Committee. As a result of her vast experience in state financial matters, she became justly renowned as perhaps the most knowledgeable member of the General Assembly in budget and finance, carrying in her head a grasp of institutional memory which frequently proved invaluable to the state budget process.

Nancy's depth and breadth of experience in government equaled or exceeded that of any other individual of either gender or political party active in public office during her time. But mere years of involvement would be meaningless without the highly sensitive political antennae and the phenomenal memory for governmental and financial minutiae for which Nancy was widely known and greatly respected among Delaware decision-makers.

She was a central figure in most major governmental initiatives undertaken in Delaware in her time. Among the most significant of these accomplishments was her work with former Senate President Pro Tempore Richard S. Cordrey and other state government leaders on drafting and enacting the body of constitutional amendments and related legislation enacted in the early 1980's to establish Delaware's balanced budget amendment, the state's "Rainy Day Fund," and a formula for reducing bonded indebtedness, among other measures. This package of legislation is generally considered to be the foundation of the fiscal health Delaware experienced in the decades following its enactment. In fact, a national magazine called Delaware, one of the best-managed states in the nation in financial matters.

Few, if any, legislators of her time have had as profound an impact on the shape of Delaware fiscal policy as Senator Cook. One key to her success was her willingness to put politics aside to achieve a united front among legislators of all parties on state finances.

Nancy also served as a longtime member of the General Assembly's Legislative Council. As such, she played a central role in the gradual evolution of the legislature from the old-fashioned institution, it was when she first experienced it in the 1950's to the relatively streamlined and technologically advanced body of today. She was a strong supporter of information technology and of the state's new Department of Technology and Information. She was also a leading advocate within the General Assembly for state employees and retirees recognizing their value as dedicated professionals.

She was a supporter of historical and cultural affairs and in the early 2000's spearheaded efforts to create a statue for the grounds of Legislative Hall honoring "The Delaware Continentals," the Delaware troops who fought in the Revolutionary War 250 years ago. Nancy worked on the statue with then House Majority Leader Wayne Smith and with Delaware Heritage Commission chair Dick Carter. All three said it was the proudest accomplishment of their careers.

Nancy was also proud of having been, along with former First Lady, Elise du Pont, a co-founder of Dover's Biggs Museum of American Art in 1993. She continued to serve on the museum board of directors for the rest of her life.

Following her departure from the Senate in 2010, Nancy continued to serve in other forms of public service at both state and county level, including her service on DEFAC­-the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council--in the years that followed. In addition, Senator Cook served on many boards and commissions that had an impact on the community including the Polytech School Board, the Delaware Historical Society, and DE Turf, to name a few.

In addition to her husband, Nancy was preceded in death by her parents and her stepson, Allen J. Cook, Jr.

She is survived by a son, Thomas J. Cook, and his wife, Beth; by a granddaughter, Morgan Cook, who, with her partner, Jared Urban, is the mother of Nancy's great-grandson, Jett Thomas Urban. She is also survived by her step-grandchildren, Allen Cook, III (Cindy), Dale Cook (Debbie), and Shawn Cook (Stacy), and their families, including their mother, Judy Cook, and her step-great-grandchildren, Courtney (Jack), Jarrett, Brendan (Kristonna), Cassidy (Jack), Kenley (Aidan), and their families, including three great-great step-grandchildren (Brayden, Brendan, Beckett), with another one on the way in coming months.

She is also survived by her sister, Joan Maxwell (Casey), and their family, Stacey Jones (Trevor) and their children, Meghan and Aeddan; and their son, Brian Maxwell (Carrie) and their children, Isabella and Brooke.

The family would also like to send a special thank you to the first responders of the Kent County Paramedics team and the Hartly Volunteer Fire Company for the care they provided Nancy during this difficult time.

Finally, the family would like to acknowledge Judy Cook, who was like a daughter to Nancy, for all the love and caring she provided her over the years. Our family is forever grateful for everything she has done, and she will always have a special place in our hearts.

A visitation will be held on Monday evening, March 30, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Torbert Funeral Chapel, 1145 E. Lebanon Rd. (DE Route 10), Dover, DE 19901. There will also be a visitation at Torbert's on Tuesday morning, March 31, from 10:00 AM until 12:00 Noon, with a funeral service to follow. For those unable to attend the funeral service there will be a livestream on www.torbertfuneral.com, it can be found under the "Upcoming Livestreams" tab and viewed by clicking on her name. In addition, the livestream will be broadcast at Legislative Hall at 411 Legislative Ave, Dover, DE 19901.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in honor of Senator Nancy W. Cook's enduring legacy and her instrumental role in the founding of the Biggs Museum of American Art. Contributions may be sent to the Biggs Museum of American Art, 406 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901, or made online at https://www.thebiggsmuseum.org/donations/

Letters of condolence may be sent, and guestbook signed at www.torbertfuneral.com

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Torbert Funeral Chapels; 1145 E. Lebanon Rd., Dover, DE 19901; email: torbertfc@yahoo.com; and phone: (302) 734-3341