Thomas Cook Jr.

Thomas Westmoreland Cook, Jr., 84, of Nashville, died at his home on March 27, 2018. He was born October 30, 1933 in Nashville to the late Thomas Westmoreland Cook and Ethel Parks Cook. He was married to Joyce Gail Ireland from Chattanooga for over 55 years.

He attended Hillsboro High School and graduated from Chattanooga High School. He graduated from the University of Chattanooga, where he served on the Honor Council, Vice President of the Senior Class, and President of the Kappa Sigma chapter.

Following graduation he was commissioned as an Artillery officer in the United States Army during the Cold War and rose to the rank of Captain. After his military service he returned to Chattanooga to start a life-long career in insurance. After his time at Provident Life where he learned the group health insurance business, he then had the good fortune to meet Webb Follin, who brought him to Nashville to work in his new insurance company, where Tom worked for 30 years. As Vice President of developmental marketing he developed a small group health program that was sold across the United States, and became one of the largest employer benefit programs in the US. He served as President of the Mass Marketing Insurance Institute and served on the Board of PIMA, an insurance association. In 1988 he started Cook & Company and operated that agency for 12 years. His son continues to operate that business.

In spite of being not very good at it, he was an avid golfer and enjoyed his weekly Wednesday game as an opportunity to share the day with friends. He was a member of the Downtown Sertoma Club and West End United Methodist Church.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Catherine Cook Krumm (Robert Thomas) , and his son, Thomas Westmoreland Cook III (Caroline Elizabeth), his seven grandchildren, Caroline Elizabeth Krumm, Connor Westmoreland Krumm, Thomas Henry Ireland Krumm, Annie Bridges Cook, Elizabeth Rawlings Cook, Wesley Parks Cook, and Thomas Westmoreland Cook IV, all of Nashville, and his sister Judith Cook Strange of Germantown, Tennessee.

The family will receive visitors at West End United Methodist Church in Reed Hall on April 3 from 12:30 to 2:00 with a celebration of life to follow in the sanctuary at 2:00 pm.

Honorary Pallbearers are Edward Cox, Wallace Edwards, John Howell, Joseph Pryor,

William Roark, David Rollins, Gibbs Smith, Haskill Tidman, and Vance Tilly.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to West End Methodist Church or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Memphis.