S. Ronald "Ron" Cook, Jr.

Samuel Ronald (Ron) Cook, Jr, of Columbus, age 80, died on August 15, 2025 after a series of illnesses including prostate cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome, Graft-vs-Host Disease, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. At 12:15 p.m. Ron’s wife Janice played one of their much-beloved pieces of music, Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light) – Edward Elgar’s Nimrod, as sung by VOCES8. She placed her hand on his heart and cradled his head. At the conclusion of this glorious heavenly recording, his heart stopped and his spirit lifted from his body.

Ron was born on February 19, 1945, in Valparaiso, Indiana, the son of Samuel R. and Eldora J. Cook. He attended public schools in West Lafayette and Columbus, Indiana; Carroll and West Des Moines, Iowa; Peoria and Geneva, Illinois; and Berea and Upper Arlington, Ohio. Following graduation from Upper Arlington High School in 1963, he attended The Ohio State University, earning B.A. and J.D. degrees. He married Janice Baker in 1968 while attending law school. He served on active duty (1971-1974) in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General Corps and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for his service on Guam on the staff of Admiral George S. Morrison.

Following his naval service, he joined the Columbus law firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP. In 1988 he became the Manager of the Financial Institution and Commercial Law Department of the firm, managing the firm’s financial institution practice in all six of its offices. He practiced law for a total of thirty-eight years, receiving statewide and national recognition for his legal skills.

For thirty-eight years he also performed with and directed The Early Interval, an early music ensemble with a substantial following in central Ohio and beyond. He performed on numerous historical instruments including recorders, medieval and Renaissance harps, chang, medieval lute, Renaissance guitar, harpsichord, crumhorns, shawm, rackett, pipe and tabor, nakers, hurdy-gurdy, and medieval cup bells. He spoke about early music topics across the country and served as a lecturer and adjunct instructor at Capital University. The large number of articles he wrote for The American Recorder, the Historical Harp Society Bulletin, The American Harp Journal, and Le Cygne: Journal of the International Marie de France Society, The American Harp Journal, together with the publication of his book, The Early Medieval Harp: A Practical Guide (2013), resulted in a national reputation as an expert on many aspects of harp history.

Ron served as president of many community organizations, including Central Community House, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, the Kiwanis Club of Columbus, the Columbus Kiwanis Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Friends of Early Music. He was a member of three national early music organizations: the American Recorder Society, for which he served as treasurer; the Historical Harp Society, for which he was a founding trustee and served as president; and Early Music America, for which he served as president. The honors he received, individually or with his wife, included the Columbus Dispatch Community Service Award for Advancement of Culture (1986), the Columbus Bar Association Community Service Award (1987), the Kiwanis Club of Columbus's Kiwanian of the Year Award (1997), and a Citation of Recognition from the Mayor of Columbus for contributions to the arts (2015). In 2016 he was awarded nationally the Early Music America Laurette Goldberg Award for lifetime achievement in early music outreach.

Ron was a prolific poet, creating over a thousand poems. Many were in a shape that he devised, consisting of 49 words. He had three goals: creating a work which sounded natural and graceful when read out loud; that had a nice visual aspect on the page; and which created an image in the mind. He self-published three books of poetry and co-wrote a book called “My Life So Far” with his granddaughter Caia when she was eight years old. As Director of The Early Interval he created the annual “Celebration of Twelfth Night” which is now a Columbus tradition. Early Interval programs combined music, dance, history, and writings. Among them were, “An Evening with Ben Johnson,” “Music from the Time of Christopher Columbus,” “Treasures of Venice,” and “London Circa 1700 A Portrait in Words and Music.” After Ron retired from the group because of health problems, he was gratified to see The Early Interval go on without him and he heartily supported them from the audience.

Ron also composed and arranged music in many genres and styles; cultivated a large collection of bonsai trees; and organized the Mighty Ukulele Orchestra of Downtown Kiwanis, which played at events and at retirement communities for ten years. He was active at Worthington United Methodist Church for 30 years where Ron and Janice played early music for Christmas Eve services. More recently, he was a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ.

He is survived by his wife, Janice M. Cook; by his children, David E. Cook (Shayna Steele Cook), Lauren E. Cook (Andrew Wong), and granddaughter, Caia L. Cook; sister Anita Cook Motil (Joe); brother Dennis Cook; sister Colleen Cook (Ted Mahone), nieces and nephews. Ron’s greatest joys were making music and being in the company of his family.

Ron's family will receive friends Friday, October 3, 2025 from 5pm to 8pm and Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 9am to 11am at Schoedinger Funeral Service, Worthington. A Celebration of Life with music and poetry will be held on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 3:00pm at Worthington United Methodist Church.

The family wishes to thank Drs. Joe Dusseau and Nseobong Ntukidem; bone marrow donor Jakob Maudrich; the Hematology Department at the James Cancer Center; the caring staff, nurses, and aides at Danbury Senior Living Columbus; and Cap City and CorsoCare Hospices. Contributions in Ron’s memory may be made to the Ron and Janice Cook Fund for Early Music at the Columbus Foundation, 1234 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio; the MDS Foundation; or the National Marrow Donor Program.