John Cook was born on September 25th, 1927 to John and Katherine Cook, Germans who
emigrated from Russia. He had five siblings including his dear twin brother Eugene, and sister Dolores.
John married Vera Jack on August 10th, 1958.
He was blessed with two children, Robin and Timothy (Lisa), and two grandchildren, Cameron and Christopher.
John was a native of Portland. He attended Highland Grade School, Jefferson High School
and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Lewis & Clark College in 1950.
After graduation, John became a lifelong employee of the Union Pacific Railroad Company. His career was interrupted by two years of service in the Marine Corps during the Korean conflict. He retired from Union Pacific in 1988 as Director of Labor Relations and earned a national reputation for fairness and honesty in dealing with labor unions. John was listed in “Who’s Who in American Railroads.”
John was a member of First Presbyterian Church and the Multnomah Athletic Club. One of his dear friends said, “John was a kind and wonderful person who made everyone around him better.” Utmost and foremost, he was deeply devoted to his family. He loved spending time together and family trips. He adored his grandsons, and it was “always about the boys!” He will be terribly missed.
A private funeral will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, at Skyline Memorial Gardens followed by a Celebration of Life this summer. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances be made to First Presbyterian Church or the Multnomah Athletic Club Foundation.
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