Theodore M. Cook

JAN 20, 1932 – MAY 22, 2015

Theodore Marion Cook passed away on Friday, May 22, 2015. He was 83. Ted was born on January 20, 1932 during the depression, but did not cause it! He met his wife, Patricia A. Burke, in the seventh grade, when they were twelve years old in Sacramento. After joining the Air Force in 1951, during the Korean War, he married Patty. They spent three days of their honeymoon on a train going to Fort Benning, Georgia; his first duty station. He worked for the Finance office while in the United States Air Force. After the Air Force, Patty worked as a secretary to put Ted through college, while at the same time, he sold knife pouches that his father invented for butchers, as well as repairing electric razors. Ted worked for the Internal Revenue Service, the Tax Exempt Bond Department of Bank of America and the Government Bond Department of the Federal Government. He received his AA degree from San Francisco City College, his BA degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and attended Hasting College of Law for one year.

In 1959, He and Patty came to Modesto, where he became a Stock Broker and was very active in Real Estate. Theodore Marion Cook was a Senior Vice President and Financial Consultant in Modesto, California for fifty years with Morgan Stanley and its predecessors, as part of the Cook Group, consisting of his two sons Montgomery Cook and Randolph Cook along with Glenda Robles also, Financial Consultants. Ted was famous for his seminars on the Fundamentals of Investing. He had been a member of the Director’s Council representing the top 2% of Financial Advisor; a number one producer of insurance and annuity products; member of the Million Dollar Insurance Council and the Mutual Fund Advisory Council, as well as the holder of the “Fred Fredrickson Award”, representing the most outstanding Financial Advisor in the Western Division. Ted retired in 2007 to concentrate on his cattle operation.

Ted was a former President of the Stanislaus Taxpayers Association; Memorial Hospital, Board of Directors and Treasurer of the foundation for 16 years; past president of the Modesto Apartment; past President of the Valley Stock and Bond Club; former Treasurer of The Arc of the United States and the Red Cross Board of Directors; Director of the Modesto Downtown Improvement District; past President of the Stanislaus Navy League and the Modesto Shrine Club, past Commodore of the Stockton Yacht Club; past Commander of the Modesto Coast Guard Auxiliary and former member of the American Diabetes Association Board of Directors. A member of the Modesto Rotary Club, the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, the California and National cattlemen’s Association and the California Farm Bureau. He was a 32nd degree Mason, a Shriner, a Republican and a Methodist. His father often said, “Never talk about politics or religion, but be sure you tell them you are a Republican!” He was a serious Capitalist.

Ted was in the cattle business for many years; raising registered Angus Bulls and Boar Goats. Ted was married to Patty for sixty four years and saw most of the world while representing his firm. They were avid tennis players and sailors in their younger years. Ted loved guns, but never shot animals. He made all their ranches game preserves. He was a great supporter of the Second Amendment.

Ted is survived by his wife of 64 years Patty, son Montgomery and his wife Kathy, son Randolph and his wife Denise and son Terrance, 7 grandchildren Chloe Cook, Derrick Cook, Caitlyn Cook, Alanis Cook, Vincent Cook, Michael Cook, Leslie Cairns and her husband Brian and 2 great grandchildren Julia Hernandez and Landon Cairns.

Private Services will be held at Lakewood Memorial Park 900 Santa Fe Avenue in Hughson. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency at 2647 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, CA 95358 or to Community Hospice.