Dale M Cook

Born January 13, 1935 in Flagler, Colorado, the son of Howard and Mary Margaret (Marsh) Cook, he married Margaret Bibly in July of 1959. He later married the love of his life, Sharon Kief, on October 2, 1976 in Pekin.

Surviving are his wife, Sharon; daughters, Linda (Mark) Lock of Pekin and Michelle (Todd) Hicks of Cincinnati, Ohio; sons, Mark (Michelle) Cook and Michael Cook, both of Pekin; four grandchildren, Andrew Hicks, Maggie Hicks, Sarah Hicks and Henry Hicks, all of Cincinnati; one sister, Alice Darlene Brauer of Kansas City, Missouri and one brother, Ronald (Cathy) Cook of Arizona City, Arizona. He also leaves his brother-in-law, Dennis (Marla) Kief of Pekin and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his in-laws, August and Margaret Kief and a brother-in-law, Herman Brauer.

Dale grew up and attended Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1958 at which time he began his career as a chemical engineer for Corn Products Company, later to be known as CPC International, at their Argo, Illinois Technical Center. He joined the engineering staff at CPC’s Pekin Plant in 1970. In 1979, he was promoted to Plant Manager for the CPC affiliate, Peterson Puritan Packaging Company in Danville. He was later promoted to the position of Vice President of Operations for that company. He continued to hold that position through a series of divestitures and moves which took him and his family to Ontario, Canada, New York State and Chicago. In 1996, he joined Fluid Packaging Company in Lakewood, New Jersey as Vice President of Operations. He retired from Fluid Packaging in 2001. During that time he earned his Master’s Degree from Bradley University in Peoria. He also attended Dartmouth Business Strategies School.

Dale was always active working around the home, playing tennis and, in later years, riding his bicycle. He participated in organized rides that crossed Kansas, a one day ride across Indiana, a week long ride around Southwestern Wyoming, a week long ride in Door County, Wisconsin, a week long ride in the mountain passes of Colorado and many other weekend and shorter rides. He also enjoyed his volunteer work as an escort at Pekin Hospital. He was always involved in the various churches the family attended.

He was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Bartonville.

His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 23, 2019 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. Pastor Raymond Barclay will officiate. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Private inurnment will be in Prairie Haven Cemetery in Pekin.

Memorial contributions may be made to Bethel Lutheran Church, 200 Colona Avenue, Bartonville, IL 61607 or to Tazewell Animal Protective Society, 100 Taps Lane, Pekin, IL 61554 or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Midwest Affiliate, 530 Northeast Glen Oak Avenue, Peoria, IL 61637.

The family would especially like to thank the wonderful people with Hospice Compassus and Dr. Michael Honan for their wonderful care and help over the last 10 months.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com