Grace Cook's Obituary
Grace Harris Cook, 95, died peacefully in Atlanta, Georgia on November 19, 2018. Graveside services will be held on Sunday, November 25, 2018, at 4:30 p.m. at Perry Memorial Gardens. Grace was born on January 24, 1923, in Grayson, Louisiana, the second child of Hubert Vernon and Zella Carothers Harris. She spent her youth in Grayson until the family relocated to Louisiana, where her father worked as a county agent in Adamsville, Tennessee. It was during this time that Grace lost her father as a child. Grace went on to graduate from high school in Adamsville and also attended Nashville Business College. During this time she found work in Civil Service for the Army Air Force in Memphis. All of this happened just after the declaration of World War II. Grace Harris was happily married to 1st Lt Byron Thomas Cook on June 22, 1944. Grace had two sons, Byron Thomas Cook, Jr. and Stephen Harris Cook. Sadly, Stephen passed away shortly after he graduated from Vanderbilt University, at the age of 24, on January 25, 1975, while pursuing a PhD at Iowa State University. Ms. Cook lived her adult life in both Memphis and Mobile in Alabama before moving to Perry, Georgia. After her husband, Colonel Cook passed away in 2009, Grace decided to move to Atlanta to be closer to her remaining family. Grace was a member of Perry United Methodist Church for 53 years and a member of the General Stewart Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. Grace graduated from Wesleyan College in 1974, and earned a Master’s degree from Mercer University. She taught English and Art in the Houston County school system for many years. Colonel Cook and Grace had a passion for higher education. Through their substantial donations they were able to honor their son’s legacy by establishing scholarships and fellowships in his memory. Those donations and scholarships can be found at Wesleyan College, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Kentucky. Left to cherish the memories they shared with Grace are her son, Tom Cook Jr. (Katie); her grand-sons, Drs. Byron Thomas Cook, III and Jennifer Dudek Cook of Cumming, Georgia, Timothy Luton and Chloe Trouteaud Cook of Tucker, Georgia, and Stephen Samuel and Meghan Jane Cook of Olathe, Kansas; a step-grandson, Andrew Panella of Roswell, Georgia; as well five great-grandchildren. Online condolences for the family may be left in our online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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