Charles Cook

1934 - 2020

Charles Cook

Sept. 27, 1934 - Nov. 3, 2020

Charles Edwin "Cookie" Cook, 86, of Woodway, Texas, was welcomed into Heaven on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. The Cook family takes the risk of exposure to Covid-19 seriously, and wishes everyone to take all precautions; social distancing, wearing face masks, temperature screening, and please care for yourself if you are running fever or have recently been exposed. There will be a time of visitation with the family from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8, at Grace Gardens Funeral Home. There will be a private Celebration of Life service at 11 a.m., Monday, Nov. 9, that you are encouraged to watch via livestream on Grace Gardens Facebook page, and will later be uploaded to his obituary page on their website. The family will have a private interment at White Hall Cemetery prior to the service. Wayne Williams will officiate.

"Cookie" Charles Edwin Cook was born Sept. 27, 1934, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Joe and Lucile Cook. Joe was a welder for Cotton Belt Railroad and Lucile worked at the Military Arsenal in Pine Bluff. Cookie was raised in Pine Bluff and grew up on the rivers, in the woods and fields hunting and fishing with his friends. He and his buddies would often hunt or fish early in the morning before school. Cookie passed down his love of the outdoors and eventually golf to his three boys, King, David, and Dan. Early in his teen years while on a Boy Scout biking outing, Cookie was hit by a truck and given little hope of surviving. But God had other plans and restored his life. During high school Dodie Clark walked into his life and stole his heart. They were married Dec. 26, 1952, when they were freshmen in college. Cookie took a break from college to join the Marines in 1954 and was stationed in 29 Palms, California. King was born earlier that year in Memphis, Tennessee. He and Dodie soon joined Cookie in 29 Palms. After serving the Marines for two years, Cookie returned to college on the GI Bill and eventually graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in Geophysical Engineering. Following graduation, he joined various oil exploration companies that had the family moving often, 14 locations in the next 14 years. David was born in Ruston, Louisiana, in 1957, and Dan in Carlsbad, New Mexico, in 1961. They eventually settled down in Waco, Texas, in 1967, where Cookie sold dynamite for Hercules Powder Company. It has been rumored that Cookie may have used dynamite in a creative manner when fishing the backwater lakes of Arkansas. Cookie joined upstart Chemical Lime, Inc. in 1971, with his dear friend and mentor Tom Chambers. He served as VP of Sales. The company grew exponentially through the years and provided a stable foundation for the family. Cookie and Dodie were fixtures in the stands rooting for their boys at every game of every sport at Midway High School. They also became avid season ticket holders to Baylor football and basketball. Chemical Lime opened the door to many lifelong friendships across the country. Cookie retired from Chemical Lime in 1999. In 2001 he was coaxed out of retirement to breathe new life into Southern Lime, Inc. in Birmingham, Alabama. One of the greatest success stories of his life followed as he served as president through an amazing turnaround, retiring for good in 2005. The owners of Southern Lime made this comment, "Charlie was a bright light to all of us at Southern Lime. We couldn't have been successful without him." Cookie and Dodie returned to Waco were they had maintained a house. They traveled extensively for the next years of retirement and loved being with their five grandchildren. They were active members of First United Methodist Church of Waco for over 40 years and loved their Sunday School class, New Beginnings. Cookie was an avid golfer and played in many events locally and across the state. Dodie passed in 2018 from complications of dementia. During this hard time of transition, Cookie purchased a second home in Horseshoe Bay to be closer to his boys and to expand his golf adventures with his good friends. In November of 2019 good friend Jim Amos set him up on a date that would change his life. He and Jo vonRosenberg met for lunch, sparks began to fly, and they were married within three weeks. Coincidentally the families had been friends for years and the children knew each other well. It was a match made in heaven for sure. They spent the past year traveling, meeting with family, and enjoying life together to the fullest. Jo was the new wind under his wings. To say that they fit many years of adventures into one would be an understatement. Cookie is survived by his wife, Jo; his three boys, King (Barbara), David (Karen), and Dan (Cindy); and five grandchildren, Hunter, Spencer, Meredith, Alexandria, and Hannah.

In lieu of flowers the family has asked that donations be directed to Samaritans Purse to honor one of Cookie's favorite charities.