Reuel "Bob" Robert Hook Jr.

Reuel (Bob) Robert Hook, Jr. was born in Elkins, West Virginia on May 3, 1939. Bob lived in the little burg of Frank, WV where her learned the arts of fishing, hunting, and trapping. Bob moved to Painesville, Ohio in 1950 when Bob was in the 6th grade. Bob graduated from Painesville Harvey High School in 1957and went on to attend Hiram College and graduated with a Bachelors degree in 1961. While there he participated in track, basketball, and football. He then earned his Masters degree in Microbiology in 1964 under an NIH fellowships and continued through to his Ph.D in Microbiology in 1968 under and National Cancer Institute Fellowship for WV University in Morgantown. Bob married the love of his life, Marilyn Wells Hook of Cuyahoga Fall, OH on July 27, 1963. They moved to Columbia in 1968 where Bob was appointed as a research professor under the Missouri University System and an assistant professor in Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the Columbia Campus where he taught medical students, nursing students, graduate students, and post-doctoral students during his career. Bob spent most of his professional life in cancer research studying melanoma cancers. In 1990, he moved his appointment to the MU College of Veterinary Medicine where he concentrated his research on human sexually transmitted diseases. His research was funded by the National Institutes for Health for 28 of his 32 years at MU, and he was an author on 210 published research papers during his career. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 2000.

He loved the outdoors including gardening, hunting, fishing, and especially flying fishing in mountain streams. He traveled many times to Alaska, multiple parts of the county, as well as Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands to test his skills against trout, salmon, and any other fish in the area. He was dedicated to teaching of the Bible, especially to younger people including youth groups, college groups, and young married couples.

Bob is survived by his wonderful and loving wife, Marilyn, daughter Kirstie De Gon (Joseph), daughter Wendy Guevel, and son Reuel Robert Hook III (Lindsey Corey). He is also survived by 5 much-loved grandchildren: Andrew Bennett, Stephanie Bennett, Ryan Calcutt, Ben Guevel, and Elston Hook. He is also survived by a younger sister, Millicent Hook Morrison, and was preceded in death by his parents Reuel Robert Hook Sr. and Mary Filuta Hook, as well as a younger sister Tonie Elizabeth Hook Rogers.

In lieu of flowers please make donations in Bob’s memory to Show-Me Christian Youth Home at 24302 Mahon Road, PO Box 6, La Monte, MO 65337.

Friends and family may gather Friday, June 19, 2026, from 10-11am at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 West Columbia, MO. Funeral service will begin at 11am, followed by interment in Memorial Park Cemetery.