William was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Edith Norris Cook in 1992, and wife, Fannie Allison Cook in 2020, sister, Laverne Williamson, son-in-law Jerry Cheatham, and great-grandson, Myles Cheatham. He is survived by daughter, Sheila Cheatham, and son, William Alvin Cook III and his wife Nancy, grandson Jeremy Cheatham and wife Jenny, and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two step-children, eight step-grandchildren, 14 step- great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-step-grandchildren.
William grew up with many names. At home and with friends he was Junior but at work and later in life Bill. He lived in the Houston area graduating in 1945 from Jeff Davis High School. He attended University of Houston seeking an Electrical Engineering degree but stopped seven hours short of graduating to raise his family. He enjoyed fishing, camping, skiing, and travelling but was often recruited to work on cars.
Accepting Jesus Christ as Savior as a teenager, he attended Bethel Baptist Church and began teaching Sunday School Junior Boys at the age of 17. He and his family were given the opportunity to build the mission church, Little York Baptist Church, in the 1950s. However, moving to Spring in 1961, he spent the last 58 years attending Spring Baptist Church where he served as Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, and teacher until February, 2021.
Retiring from AT&T Bill worked as the supervisor providing radar and communications to the FAA when Houston International Airport opened. He later worked all of the NASA space shots from Gemini until his retirement in 1983. Working with large corporations nationwide to resolve communication problems resulted in him being the “go to guy” at Southwestern Bell and AT&T.
The family will receive friends for visitation Thursday, April 15, 2021, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM and the Funeral Service follows at 10:00 AM at Spring Baptist Church at 633 E Louetta Rd, Spring Texas 77373. There will be a meal for family and friends after the service. We will meet for a Graveside Service at Brookside Cemetery on 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, Texas 77039.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Gideons International by purchasing Holy Bibles with W. A. Cook, Jr inscribed.
