Read Pat Alan Cook's Obituary & Leave Condolences

In memory of

Pat Alan Cook

West Jordan, UT, USA

July 20, 1952 - March 15, 2018

Jul 20, 1952 - Mar 15, 2018

Help keep everyone in the know by sharing this memorial website.

Share

Photo

Pat Alan Cook, 65, passed away Thursday, March 15, 2018, at his home in West Jordan, Utah. Pat was born on July 20, 1952 in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, to James Ronald Cook and Geneil Collett Cook. He graduated from Kearns High School in 1970, and in 1971 enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served as Machinist Mate on the USS Brooke. He married his high school sweetheart, Jolie Peterson, on May 3, 1972, later solemnized in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. After being honorably discharged in 1976, he and Jolie raised their three children in Kearns, Utah.

After leaving the Navy, Pat switched gears and began a career in the trucking industry, where, under the CB handle “Cookie Monster,” he was a truck driver, dispatcher, heavy haul specialist, and owned his own pilot car service. As a heavy haul specialist, Pat configured and designed a trailer that held the record for over 25 years for heaviest load moved on a highway in North America. It was during this time that he instilled in his children a love for the song “Convoy” by CW McCall, which was played thousands of times in their home over the years, on whatever the latest and greatest stereo system was that Pat had at the time. His kids also loved to “play trucks” and pretend to drive cross country (shifting many gears!) in "trucks" that they imagined out of the furniture. Pat eventually left the trucking industry to pursue a career as a Machinist for DaCo Precision Manufacturers, where he was employed for 20 years, manufacturing surgical and medical devices.

Pat had a passion for genealogy and was one of the original LDS church members called to serve as Genealogy Specialist in the 1980s. He has indexed tens of thousands of records for the LDS Family History website and his research includes records dating back to the 1400s.

Pat loved to learn new things, and was fascinated by history, science and astronomy. When he learned something new, he loved to share and discuss with his family. His kids recall several early mornings being woken up to gaze at stars, watch a partial eclipse, or to watch space shuttle launches on TV. One of his happiest days was being in Wyoming with his family to witness the total solar eclipse. He was nearly childlike in his excitement at experiencing such a phenomenon with his family.

Pat loved to go snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park, and rallied family members each year to go on a snowmobiling trip, until his health prohibited it. He loved being in the mountains, and also loved to spend time with his family at the lake at Scofield Reservoir, where his dad had a cabin for many years. He was happy to sit for hours, talking with family and enjoying the view. He loved to travel and took his children on a vacation each year, even when finances were tight. On road trips, he always stopped at Historical Markers and made everyone get out of the vehicle and read the markers. Although it may have seemed annoying to his young children at the time, it created a sense of curiosity and love of history in each of them, and they now stop at Historical Markers on road trips too.

Pat always did whatever it took to make ends meet, sometimes working 2 and 3 jobs, to provide for his family so that everyone had what they needed. He never complained about having to work hard, even when he was working at jobs that he didn’t enjoy. His strong work ethic was a quality that he instilled in his children, without ever saying a word about it. Pat was a quiet man, but when he spoke up, he was profound and witty. He loved being around his family, quietly taking in their banter, and then inserting his own sarcastic comments, generally getting the last word while the family took in his hilarious comments. This past Thanksgiving, when Pat was asked where he wanted to spend the holiday, he responded “wherever the most people will be.”

Pat loved being with his grandchildren and had a special relationship with each of them. Just being near them made him happy. His grandchildren feel fortunate that they were able to spend so much time with Grandpa and they will cherish their memories of him teasing them, helping them with homework, watching their sporting events, celebrating their successes, and providing encouragement when they were struggling.

Pat was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Ronna Lynn Aste. He is survived by his wife and sons, Kiley and Kendall, and his daughter, Kimberly Eastman (Chad), as well as his brothers, Keith (Penni), John (Jil) and Jeff, and his sister, Tahna Lee Naylor (William). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Hagen Cook, and Stone, Chloe and Regan Averett, and 16 nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting financial assistance for the services. A memorial account has been created at America First Credit Union for the “Pat Cook Memorial Fund.” Contributions can be made by transferring from any financial institution to account number 9100488 or by calling 1.800.999.3961. Any support is sincerely appreciated by his family.

Get notified when new photos, stories and other important updates are shared.