William A. (Bill) Cook

Amarillo, Texas

William A. (Bill) Cook, age 82, passed away Sunday, March 23, 2014, in Amarillo, Texas.

Family received friends on March 25 from 6-8 p.m. at LaGrone Blackburn Shaw Coulter Road Chapel. Funeral services are at 2 p.m. on March 26 at LaGrone Blackburn Shaw Coulter Road Chapel with Ken Branum officiating. Interment to follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Bill was born at home between Childersburg and Talladega on Jan. 10, 1932, to Thomas and Della Vick Cook. He lived around these two towns until he joined the Air Force at the age of 19. He began his military career as an enlisted man and rose through the ranks, retiring after 25 years of service. Bill served primarily in the Strategic Air Command seeing duty as a tail gunner, co-pilot, pilot, pilot instructor and pilot instruction quality assurance officer and flight scheduler. He flew bombers (primarily B-47’s and B-52’s), tankers and the Agoony bird. After retiring from the Air Force, Bill worked at Tradewind Airport as a charter pilot and flight instructor. His basic interests were family, flying and playing bridge.

Bill is survived by one daughter, Patricia C. Maddox (Darryl); one son, Darrell Cook; three grandsons, Cameron Cook (Sally), Clayton Cook and Connor Cook, all of Amarillo, Texas; one sister, Nancy Smith of Montgomery; one niece and one nephew; and one special family friend, Gabriele Franke-Foll. He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant grandson, Christian William Cook; his wife of 45 years, Shirley B. Cook; and his younger brother, Thomas Cook.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be to the Shirley B. Cook Nursing Scholarship at Amarillo College.