Stephen Lee Cook

Stephen Lee Cook passed away peacefully at home early on the morning of March 3, 2024. Born in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, on January 16, 1947, to Albert and Clauddean Cook, Steve graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School as a proud offensive tackle on his beloved MPHS Tigers football team. Always a hard worker, Steve spent his youthful summers building fences and hauling hay for local farms. He also played hard with friends, spending time camping, squirrel hunting, and gigging frogs and fishing in East Texas ponds and creeks.

Steve attended East Texas State University and then the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical and environmental engineering. During his time at UT he continued his work ethic at A Plus University Services as a valued employee taking class notes, operating the printing press, and keeping equipment running. Steve began his professional career with Gulf Oil before moving on to the Texas Water Quality Board, and Espey-Huston engineering firm. In March of 1983, together with his late friend Tom Joyce, he founded Cook-Joyce Inc., a longtime Austin-based engineering and consulting firm (and beloved haunt for many “office kids” at the various annual parties). Steve also enjoyed sharing his expertise as a guest lecturer for professors Joe Malina and Bob Holt.

An avid outdoorsman, Steve was fond of taking his family on long road trips, camping in the Rocky Mountains with a collection of families referred to comically as the “Sunshine Wilderness Family”, and hunting and spending time on the deer leases he shared with his close-knit group of friends and brothers-in-law, a.k.a. the North Evant Liar’s Club. Other favorite pastimes included practicing culinary skills with “Gourmet Group” friends at monthly gatherings and hosting large company campouts and barbeques with his Cook-Joyce family as well as extended family gatherings at his Blue Heron Back 40 and Elgin properties. Steve enjoyed following University of Texas sports and was a longtime Runnin’ Horns basketball season ticket holder.

Whether coaching his kids’ sports teams, using his STEM skills to help with schoolwork, or hustling the family into the truck for a pre-dawn start to a road trip, he was a loving and enthusiastic husband, father, son, and friend. He will be remembered as someone who always brought people together and was a catalyst for growth in many people's lives.

Steve is survived by his wife of 45 years, Margaret, their son Stephen and his wife Mercedes, grandsons Grant and Henry, daughter Karen and her husband BJ, daughter Susie, and myriad extended family members. He is preceded in death by his parents and his grandson Robin.

If you wish, please consider a donation to your favorite charity in honor of Steve.