John Patrick Cooke

JOHN PATRICK COOKE - 68, of Ridgefield, CT died on December 26th 2005 at his home in the presence of his family, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Torrey Matheson Cooke, daughters Emily Nolan of Shepherdsville, KY; Rachel Mills of Freeport, ME; and his son John Patrick Cooke Jr. of Lantana, FL. He is also survived by his three brothers, Terrence, Anthony, and Paul, four grandchildren, and several nieces and

nephews.

John was born in Ansonia, CT on April 9, 1937 to the late Thomas J. and late Sophie K. Cooke. He attended Ansonia High School and graduated from Yale University in 1959 with a BS in Industrial Administration. While at Yale, John was a member of the crew and rowed for a Gold medal in the 1956 Olympic Games in Australia. He went on to coach at Yale and stayed active in rowing throughout his life through his involvement in various rowing associations as well as refereeing and judging.

After college John enlisted in the United States Marine Corp and was commissioned as a second lieutenant at Quantico, VA in 1960. He served in both Okinawa and Japan as a member of the Third Tank Battalion, before ending his active service in San Francisco as a Captain, USMC.

Following his military service, John accepted a job with Emery Air Freight in Wilton, CT. He received an MBA in 1980 from Manhattan College. John spent

seven years in Dayton Ohio constructing the Emery Air Freight hub and finished his career as Vice President of Facilities and Material Handling Systems before his retirement in 1993.

John was very active in the community and served on various boards in Ridgefield. He chaired the High School Building Committee from 1967 to 1974 that brought the new High School building in on time and under budget.

John's spirit, courage, strength, tenacity, loyalty, and humor will be sorely missed by all his family and friends.

A wake will be held on Friday December 30th from 4:00- 8:00PM and a short memorial service will be held December 31st at 10:00AM at: Leo P Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 2900 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06905. (203) 869 1513.

After the service on Saturday, a celebration of John's life will be held at the family's home in Ridgefield. Please join us.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of the following charities: The American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org. The

Marine Corp League - http://www.mcleague.com.The National Rowing Foundation - http://www.natrowing.org.