Joanne Cook Obituary

It is with great sadness that her family announces that Joanne Joyce Cook, a long-time Colorado Springs resident, died on November 23, 2016. She passed away peacefully after a recent sudden decline in her health.



Joanne was born in Sioux City, Iowa on January 10, 1925 to Arthur and Myrtle Brault. She grew up in Sioux City as the oldest of their three children and graduated from Central High School. She briefly attended MacMurray College for Women in Jacksonville, Illinois before transferring to the University of Arizona where she studied Spanish and Archaeology. It was in Tucson where she met the love of her life, Kelly Francis Cook, while he was training to become a B-24 pilot in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Following his return from combat service with the 15th Air Force in Italy, Kelly and Joanne married in Sioux City and started a family, which grew to include six children.



Following her husband's return from the Korean War Joanne accompanied him during numerous assignments throughout his career with the U.S. Air Force, which included postings in Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina, and Maine. Joanne first came to Colorado Springs in 1959, when her husband served as an English professor and cadet instructor at the newly-established U.S. Air Force Academy. She and the family later accompanied him on a liaison assignment to the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, England and then on to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson. Joanne lived with her children in California while her husband deployed with the 7th Air Force to Da Nang, South Vietnam. It was during this assignment that he was reported Missing-in-Action, and remains an MIA, following an F-4 bombing mission over North Vietnam in November 1967.



At her request, the Air Force moved Joanne back to Colorado Springs the following year, where she continued to raise her family while awaiting word on her husband's status. During this time Joanne was active in various associations of wives whose husbands were either Missing-in-Action or Prisoners of War in Vietnam. When the war ended and her husband did not return from Vietnam, the Air Force declared her husband legally deceased.



Joanne chose to remain in Colorado Springs and continue raising her family. She enjoyed many hobbies, including history, reading and world travel. Over the years she was also regularly involved in bowling and bridge with the Retired Officers' Wives Club and served as a volunteer with the Red Cross. She was also a skilled knitter and sewer, and made many of the family's clothes. Joanne also loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and other family members, as well as traveling to the mountains and ghost towns around Colorado. She was an avid chef and never let anybody go hungry. Joanne was known for her gracious hospitality and friendliness, and never met a stranger. She was also particularly fond of watching the aspen trees change colors in the Colorado Rockies in the autumn, as well as supporting the Air Force Academy Falcons football team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and her beloved Denver Broncos.



Joanne will forever be remembered for her strength in the face of adversity, resilience, dignity, patience, caring, understanding, sense of humor, honesty, loyalty and her deep and abiding love for her family.

Joanne was preceded in death by her parents as well as her brother Robert Brault. Left to cherish her memory is her large extended family, including her sister Barbara Bernard of Rapid City, South Dakota.. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Elizabeth Cook of Lexington, Kentucky and sister-in-law Suzanne Brault of Green Bay, Wisconsin.She is also survived by her daughters Nancy Collins (Paul), Marilyn Gall, Kathleen Cook (Jack Busher), Maureen Kozak (Ray), and sons Brian (Virginia) and Daniel (Gena). She also leaves eleven grandchildren - Lauren (Radu), Tanner, Michael, Becky (Rob), Kevin, Kelly (Jorden), Andrew, Ellen, Caroline, Emily, Charlie, - her great-granddaughter Leven, sixteen nieces and nephews, and dozens of other relatives and close family friends. This includes Barbara Moothart, another MIA spouse who became Joanne's "fifth daughter" and who provided her and the Cook family with many years of loyal friendship, love and care, particularly during Joanne's final days.



A celebration of Joanne's life will take place at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church on Monday December 5th at 9 am, followed by interment at the U.S. Air Force Academy Cemetery alongside a memorial marker for her husband. Her family will host a visitation at Swan Law Funeral Home on Sunday December 4th from 4-8 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in her name to Catholic Charities (228 N. Cascade Avenue - 719 636 -2345) or Silver Key Senior Services (1625 S. Murray - 719 884 2300). The family also wishes to thank the nurses and staff of the Palisades at Broadmoor Park, Brookdale Skyline and Interim Healthcare for their compassion and care.