Marilyn Cook's Obituary
Marilyn Cook passed away in her Gainesville home on August 29, 2021. She is survived by her sons, Robert L. Cook, and his wife Christa Cook, of Gainesville; William S. Cook and his wife, Donna Utakis, of Amherst, Mass., and her three grandsons, Cameron T. Cook, Noah P. Cook and Christian R. Cook. She was preceded in death by her husband of 37 years, Donald Cook.
Marilyn was born in Miami, Florida on October 24, 1935, to Ray Stimmel, a Miami nightclub bandleader and June Nofzinger, a showgirl and dance instructor, who later married Pat Higgins. She played clarinet in the Miami Edison High School Marching Band, which traveled to Havana and played in the Orange Bowl Parade, navigated public transportation to work at Burdines Department Store downtown, and played piano and organ in local churches. She briefly attended the University of Florida, joined the ZTA sorority but ultimately graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in education. She married Donald Cook in 1960 and then moved to Gainesville where Marilyn worked as a public-school teacher in Chiefland. The family moved several times related to Don’s academic career, living in Blacksburg, VA; Roanoke, VA; Manhattan, KS and Boone, NC. During this time Marilyn raised several pets, worked at a Hallmark Card Store, played in recorder ensembles, packed (and unpacked) for vacations, and raised her kids. In 1976, the family moved to Albany, GA, where Marilyn worked as a public-school teacher in Sylvester, GA, and received numerous unique Christmas presents from her students. Marilyn also played viola in the Albany Symphony Orchestra and was active with the Sherwood Baptist Church including various musical ensembles, trips to Argentina, etc. Marilyn and Don moved to Gainesville, FL in 2008, to be closer to their grandchildren. After Don passed away in 2017, Marilyn continued to live at home with several cats and a dog and enjoyed hearing her grandkids play piano. In Gainesville, she enjoyed her Sunday school class at Grace United Methodist Church and continued to participate in the Gainesville Newcomers Club long after she was a newcomer. Marilyn is remembered by her family for her joy at receiving (and mailing) postcards, her “home movie” photography, her rooting for whichever college sports team her kids were affiliated with at the moment, her encouragement of her kids to engage in musical activities, her loyalty to her husband through good times and bad, and her pride in attending her grandkids’ musical performances. The family will hold an online service and opportunity to share memories in October. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to Haile’s Angels Pet Rescue; www.hailesangels.org.
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