William “Bill” Ray Cook, 92, passed away Feb. 24, 2023, in Mesa, Arizona, where he had been a resident since 1981. Born Aug. 7, 1930, in Tinton Falls, he was the son of Robert L. Cook and Celia W. Cook and the great-great-nephew of John H. Cook, founder, publisher and editor in chief of The Red Bank Register from 1878 until his death in 1930.
Bill was predeceased by his brother Daniel Cook and his half-brother Bobby Cook. He is survived by his two nieces, Kathleen Haynes and Elizabeth Buda, and one nephew Daniel Cook.
During World War II, Bill served in the U.S. Army in England as a cryptographer. Bill’s career in retail sales spanned a number of enterprises in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Florida and Arizona. In 1981, he began managing Ward City in Chandler, Arizona, and later Craft City in Mesa, Arizona, with owner Robert Barnes. Due to failing health, Robert became his devoted full-time caregiver in later years.
The world is a better place from Bill’s kind and caring example. His ability to relate to all, in a nonjudgmental way, is his legacy. Bill will certainly be missed by all who knew him.
The article originally appeared in the March 23 – 29, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
