Sandra "Sandy" Lee Cook

Sandra “Sandy” Lee Cook, 77, of Muskogee, Oklahoma passed away Sunday, November 1, 2020. She was born in Illinois to Wallace Alexander and Virginia Lee White on January 9, 1943, and went to public schools in Albion, Illinois. She graduated from Edwards County High School in 1961. Prior to her graduation, she had pre-enrolled at Bowling Green State University. However, her father, an engineer with SOHIO Oil Company, unexpectedly accepted a transfer to the Muskogee Division, and her plans quickly changed. Moving with her parents to Muskogee, she then enrolled at Northeastern State College (now University), where she met her future husband, Jay Cook. They were married on September 3, 1965, and have three children, Laura Lee Cook of Muskogee, Jay Cook Jr. (Malissa) of Edmond, and Elizabeth “Libby” Allen (Shane) of Muskogee; seven grandchildren, Kyran McCaleb, Kaden McCaleb, Jay Cook III, Cooper Cook, Alissa Cook, Destrie Ettier of Chandler, AZ, and Brett Allen of Lawton. Sandy was first and foremost an educator. Obtaining a degree in special education from Northeastern in 1965, she first taught at Mark Twain Elementary in Tulsa until her husband finished law school. Returning to Muskogee in 1972, she started working at Hilldale Public Schools, eventually appointed as the director of the special education program until her retirement in 2013. Sandy was an educator who loved and cared for children. Instead of “teaching” her kids, she tried to see what was keeping them from learning and then work to resolve any problem which interfered with their advancement. Many hours were spent on the telephone in the evening time talking to a parent or fellow teacher about just what needed to be done with one of her “kids”. Following her retirement, she looked forward to those monthly meetings with her fellow Hilldale educators, and kept in touch with all her teacher friends made during those years. Her friends are too numerous to list, and she loved each of you. On September 3, 2020, she learned about her illness. Sitting in her doctor’s office on her 55th wedding anniversary with her husband, the doctor looked at her and said “you have lung cancer which has spread to the bones, and that it is incurable.” Two short months later, she lost her fight again the disease, and was no longer suffering the pain that couldn’t be controlled. If there is any comfort to those of us who are heartbroken, she no longer hurts. Sandy leaves her husband, family, and a bunch of friends who each share a loving memory of the times spent with her. She will be greatly missed. The family wishes to extend their sincere appreciation for the excellent and compassionate care given to Sandy to Dr. Ross, Dr. Hussany, Dr. Neugesse, and Dr. King, the nurses at St. Francis Hospital, the staff at Pleasant Valley Nursing Center, and Carter Health Care. A memorial service celebrating Sandy's life will be 2PM, Friday, November 13, 2020 @ Cornerstone Funeral

Sandra "Sandy" Lee Cook

January 9, 1943 - November 1, 2020