Howard Cook

Howard Cook
PEARLAND, TX-- Howard Cook, a resident of Pearland, TX, passed away on Sunday, July 11, 2010. Howard was born on June 13, 1933 to the late August and Irma Howard Cook of Spartanburg, SC. Howard was a graduate of Clemson University, and he received his PhD in Mathematics at The University of Texas under R.L. Moore in 1962. He taught at Auburn University, The University of North Carolina, and the University of Tasmania in Australia. He taught at the University of Houston from 1966 to 1999. Howard produced five doctoral students: Laurie Gibson, Tom Ingram, Michael Laidacker, Marcus Marsh, and David Reed.
Howard was a passionate supporter of the Moore Method for teaching mathematics and the Legacy of R. L. Moore Project established by the Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF). At one Legacy Conference, an individual asked essentially, "How do you know that this method works." In his typically direct manner, Howard stood and said, "How do you know that lecturing works?"
Howard is survived by his wife of 50 years, Katherine Armendt Cook; his children, Virginia Cook and her husband Keith Sanger, his daughter Carolyn Culhane and her husband Brian Culhane, and his son William FitzPatrick Cook and his wife Lesley Frymier Cook; as well as his eight grand-children.
His children consider him to have been their greatest fan. He was a father who went to every practice, every game, every event of every kind without a single complaint, usually dressed in the team colors no matter how garish (bright orange comes to mind). He loved his wife and he loved his kids and grandkids. And he had the greatest sense of humor in the world - a very dry wit. He is deeply missed.
There will be no formal service and the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made either to The Educational Advancement Foundation, 2303 Rio Grande Street, Austin, TX 78705; or Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcomb, Houston, TX 77030.