A native Washingtonian, Mr. Cook graduated from Chamberlin Vocational High School in 1943. He served as a machinist mate in the Navy from 1944 to 1947 in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters and Alaska. He was recalled to duty in 1950 and served on the aircraft carrier Oriskany during the Korean War.
Mr. Cook was a jack of all trades, schooled in carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, welding, steam engineering, power plant operations and other trades. He began doing electrical work at age 16, and over the years worked for the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Marriott, Woodward & Lothrop, Westinghouse, General Electric, Washington Hospital Center, Gallaudet College and a number of other area companies. He retired in 1989.
He was past president of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society, and he taught night classes in Washington and Alexandria in refrigeration and air conditioning. He was an assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scouts.
In retirement, he was active in home repair, gardening and woodworking. He also helped construct the Alexandria Seaport boatbuilding structure in Old Town.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Lorina Bass Cook of Alexandria; two sons, Harold Cook of Alexandria and Glenn Cook of Berryville, Va.; two grandchildren and one great granddaughter; a brother, Ivan Cook, and a sister, Ella Cook, both of Chancellorsville, Va.