My Time with John - Part 5

John impacted many lives with his generosity, his openness to everyone he met, and his humble approach to how to live a happy life.  He was a “common sense’ kind of guy.

John never made a financial fortune, but to me, with the love he had for his family and the love his family had for him, and the vast number of friends he made in his life, he was one of the richest men I ever met.  I can only hope that when my time comes, people can look back on me with the multitude of fond memories that we have of him.  If that happens to me, then I know I will have led as rich of a life as he did.

It was not only my pleasure to know him, it was my honor to know him.  And I know I was not his son.  But it would have been my privilege to have been his son.

My Time with John - Part 4

I saw a lot of my own father in John.  They lived very different lives, but there were many similarities between them.  John had let me know his family worked on the highway system that now spans our country.  They were constantly on the move as the highway was being built.  His family made enough money to live, but not much more.  But John never felt like he missed anything.  My father grew up on a mud street in New Orleans with a family of 7 living in a three-room shotgun house.  They both came from humble beginnings.  They both believed in working hard to achieve and “Hard Work” were not bad words.  And they both believed that a man shouldn’t be judged on how much was in his wallet as opposed to how much joy they had in life.

The reality was that John did in fact have high achievement with his profession.  He started his professional career working as a tile setter.  He soon became so proficient that he started his own tile business.  Not an easy task but John did it.

He made friends with everyone.  He met the love of his life, Nora, raised two of his own children and was a father figure to Nora’s children whom he also treated like his own.  If someone needed his help, as many did over the years, he never said no.  He earned the respect of everyone he met.  

When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about 2 years ago, he repeatedly told his family that when it got too bad that we should put him in a nursing home and walk away.  He figured that he wouldn’t know what was happening anyway so there was no need to worry about him.  And when he did finally pass away in the nursing facility, I don’t believe he ever really gave up on life.  He loved life.  He had had serious health issues in the past and fought them off to continue to live his life with his family.  But I believe he decided to go to heaven when he did because he didn’t want his family to have to endure anymore anguish or sadness.  This was his unselfish approach to life.

My Time with John - Part 3

His love of life was fishing and hunting.  On several occasions he asked if I would like to go fishing with him.  Unfortunately, I don’t think he realized how much of a city boy I was.  The last time I had been fishing was when I was 13 years old, fished with some friends of mine in a canal and used worms as bait.  Not exactly what John would call fishing.  The turtles ate our bait and we didn’t catch a thing.  But, I thought going fishing with him might be a good bonding experience for us and so I went fishing with him.  After he had to untangle my line after many disastrous casts I attempted and not really being able to help him with his boat other than to make sure I didn’t throw up, he never asked me to go fishing with him again.  This was not going to be our bonding experience.  But he still accepted me as a good choice for his son-in-law even though the only knots I could tie were granny knots.  

I then thought it would be a good idea to take him and Nora out to some fancy steak houses.  I thought he might like this.  But, typical for him, all he could think was “How could this ribeye and some mashed potato’s cost $50.00?  It would only cost him about $10.00 dollars and he could cook it himself on his grill and it would be just as good.  He was someone that didn’t need or wanted fancy.  He just wanted happiness.  And he had it.  Fancy was not his style.

As far as food was concerned, the only food he really liked was Nora’s cooking.  When he was in the hospital about 2 years ago all he could talk about was how much he missed her cooking.  And when he was recently in the skilled nursing facility after he broke his hip, they would bring him his lunch or dinner and when we told him it looked good and he should eat it, he told us “Well, you eat it.”  He only wanted Nora’s cooking or maybe even some chocolate covered peanut butter candies that Crystal brought which were about $10.00/50.   Nothing fancy, just good!

My Time with John - Part 2

Over time, I met Nora’s children, Van, Robin and Crystal.  And we all know they are uniquely different in their own way, but I recognized that they are the same in that they all love their family and have the strongest of bonds with John.  They looked at him as a Dad and he looked at them as his own children.  And this to me clearly was partially a result of how John interacted with them and they all became family together.

John had two children of his own, John and Cynthia.  And I believe he should be extremely proud of how he raised them to experience life and make their life fulfilling.  His son had his own challenges but John raised him to be independent and live his own life.  He took on life as an adventure every day.  He remained independent until the day he couldn’t and passed away too soon, but the life he lived was his own.  And I believe this is the type of life John had himself.  Cynthia equally had been instilled to live her own life.  In a time when most women did not go to college, or live independently, Cynthia did both.  She graduated from College, began her own career, bought her own house, and took her mother in to live with her for a number of years when she needed a home to live in.  Her abilities, her achievement and her integrity is something John is in heaven now looking back on as a great accomplishment.  I know he is proud of her.  And if there is any daughter that loved her father more than she did, I don’t know who that would be.

When Cynthia and I got married, he told several people how lucky Cynthia was to find someone that she loved and that loved her.  We got married late in life and he was concerned that she wouldn’t find someone good enough for her.  What he didn’t realize was that I was the lucky one.  He had raised a daughter that was not only independent but whom had the most loving heart I had ever met.  The lucky one was me.  And this was because he had raised her to be that kind of person.

My Time With John - Part 1

I am John’s Son-in-Law David married to John’s daughter, Cynthia.  I had the pleasure of marrying in to the Mook family about 21 years ago.  I and do say it was and is a pleasure to be part of his family.  I can tell you that I wish I had the pleasure of meeting both Cynthia and John earlier.  They have both had a significant impact on my life.

When I first met Mr. Mook, I only called him Mr. Mook.  I could tell he was one of those classic Dad’s that wanted to see who and what I was before he accepted me as someone qualified to date his daughter.  As we got to know each other better he would relay stories of previous boyfriends that Cynthia had brought home to meet him.  He would tell me things like, that guy didn’t have a good job.  This other guy drank too much of my bourbon.  Another guy was just too ugly to date his beautiful daughter.  I interpreted that as, “You better not be one of those kind of guys”!  And with Mr. Mook being as tough of a man as he was, I figured I better be on my best behavior if I was ever going to be allowed to continue to date his daughter.

Later, I wasn’t sure what to call him.  Most of the family called him “Paw Paw”.  I wasn’t really comfortable calling him that because to me he didn’t seem like a grandfather to me, and I wasn’t sure if I really had earned the right to call him Paw Paw as this was such an endearing name reserved just for the immediate family.  So, I called him John.

Mrs Nora, Crystal and family. 
I'm sorry about Me. John.
I hope you'll find comfort knowing that he's at peace.  
 My  Love. Karen C. Phillips.

I only met Mr. Mook a few times, and he was a nice man. He always waved to us, whenever we were outside. I can tell that he was very loved, and will be missed. My condolences and prayers, to all of his family. 

From, Raechell & Michael Asevado

This is a photo of me and Uncle John almost three years ago back in March of 2022. He has been a part of my life since I was born. He may not be my blood but he is and always will be my Uncle , He bought me my first gun when I was 1 yrs old! Which I think it’s the coolest thing ever. I would clean ducks with him, my dad , Uncle Butch and with their friends from Tennessee! I had the best roll models of great men like Uncle John who is all about family and helping others! Rest In Peace Uncle John. I know you are fishing and hunting with everyone who has moved on to heaven! Thank you for being a part of my life and always in my heart! I will always hear your laugh that only you had and see your big smile! Thank you again! Love you!

Note from Sheila’s brother, Jim

I had the pleasure and privilege of getting to know John through Spenser and Sheila.

Also, enjoyed John’s company duck hunting.

He was a nice person and a good friend, he will be missed by all that knew him!

Rest in peace !

The Stanford family sends our love and prayers for strength to Nora and all of your family during this time.  

We’re so happy we had the opportunity to meet John during his visits to Washington.  God Bless!

Gerald and Kelly Stanford 
Jesse Stanford and Valerie Nolan
Travis and Ashley Stanford

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

John Jerry Mook

15 août 1936 – 28 janvier 2025

St. Bernard Memorial Funeral Home & Gardens

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