Richard Joseph Cook's Obituary
Richard "Ace" Joseph Cook, 78, of Charleston, Illinois, formerly of Streator, Illinois passed away peacefully Monday, August 22, 2022, at his home in Charleston. A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, August 26, 2022, at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 921 Madison Avenue in Charleston, Illinois with Father Braden Maher officiating. Visitation will be held from 9:00 to 10:00 AM at Adams Funeral Chapel on Friday prior to the mass. Burial will be at a later date. Memorials in his honor may be made to the Salvation Army, LifeLinks (Mattoon, Illinois), or St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, and left at the visitation/service or mailed to Adams Funeral Chapel, 2330 Shawnee Drive, Charleston, IL 61920.
Richard was born July 1, 1944, in Streator, Illinois, the son of Andrew Edward and Marie Regina (Siembab) Cook. He married the love of his life, Debra Kryznowski on January 9, 1981in Kankakee, Illinois at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife, Debby; sons, Jonathan Cook, and Michael (Kelsey) Cook; granddaughter, Olivia Cook; brother, James Cook; niece & nephews, Laura Cook, Paul Cook, and Patrick Morris; and sister and brother-in-law, Linda (Craig) Morris. He was preceded in death by his parents, and nephew, John Cook.
Richard attended Streator High School and graduated from the class of 1962. He went on to St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing Anesthesia, graduating in 1975. He served his country during three stints of service in the U.S. Air Force, serving in military hospitals. After nearly fifty years in anesthesia, he retired as a certified registered nurse anesthetist from Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center. He was a member of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, a board member of the Woodland Hills Homeowners Association, and member of the American Legion in Charleston, Illinois.
Richard was a man of many interests. He was a world history buff and spent time studying Roman, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations. While walking for exercise he would often listen to history and business lectures on tape, throwing in a Doris Day record from time to time just to change things up. Clive Cussler historical fiction novels were among his favorite reads, and he also found time to study hypnosis. He enjoyed cooking, gardening, and taking care of his yard, and was often seen giving neighborhood dogs treats, even though he didn't have a dog of his own. He was a man who helped others and proudly took on the role as Salvation Army bell ringer during the holidays. With all this, Richard's most cherished time was the time spent with his family, whom he dearly loved.
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