John Michael Cook "Johnny"    Nov.4, 1963 - June 17, 1981
Requesting Photo

by Barbara  Kaye Badeau

Johnny was forever laughing & making people laugh. One of his many gifts was to make people feel good about themselves while being around him. He loved to invent new superhero costumes & would suddenly appear as "Super Roman" or Super somebody. He was very creative, smart & won a Science Fair award in the 5th grade at the American School of London. Another award for his life-sized, fully clothed image of George Washington, with an illustrated life-story to go with it in the 6th grade in Ridgefield, Connecticut. It was in Connecticut that he talked his parents into getting him a full set of drums, which nearly drove everyone crazy. The solution was to convert an upstairs roonm that was originally intended as a sauna into a soundproof place for him to practice. When the family moved from that house, needless to say, he was forced to take up a much quieter instrument, as no soundproof rooms were available. Also while living in Connecticut he was a acolyte at our church.

In high school Johnny was an avid participant in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). He attended as many meetings as possible and went on regular CAP field trips. One of his college goals was to participate in Navy ROTC  & to ultimately hold a fighter pilot's commission. He dreamed of a West Point appointment & had begun speaking to his Dad about speaking to our congressman. He was ever the entrepreneur & "dealmaking" with to his Grandfather about bringing a load of Mesquite wood down to Houston & selling it in bundles for barbeque grills. If anyone could make a little business like that work, it would be John. He always had a part-time job &  kept his grades at 3.9 to 4.0. Every employer he ever had would end up having Johnny be the one to open & close the each day because of his reliability & dependability.

He was killed in anelectrocution accident the summer he was 17 & a rising senior at Bel-Air High School in Houston. It's easier to think of him being away at one of his beloved Civil Air Patrol fields trips. I'm sure he is with them in spirit.