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William L. Cook II ’48 No. 16520 17 Jul 1927 – 21 Aug 2005 Died in Newport Beach, CA Inurned and interred in Pacific View Cemetery, Newport Beach, CA William Loch Cook II was born in Dickson, TN, on 17 Jul 1927. His ancestry on both sides of his family — hard working, intellectual stock of primarily Scottish descent — traces back for over 200 years. His namesake grandfather was a supreme court justice in Tennessee. A bright and accomplished student, Bill attended a private military academy prior to entering West Point in 1944, where he was the second youngest in his class. Classmate Roger Conover remembers, “Bill joined the Corps just three weeks after D-Day, surrounded by many new classmates who had already spent some time in uniform in programs or in the real army. But he was probably the youngest — not yet 17 — and had to learn his way around close order drill and the Garand rifle from scratch. He also was surrounded by many classmates from the north, who, during those first few days of Beast Barracks, smiled as they heard from down the rank, ‘Yes, Sir!’ and ‘No, Sir!’ barked out by Bill in his Tennessee drawl. Bill didn’t appreciate the northern climate either. As early as late August on maneuvers at Pine Camp, he would shiver in his pup tent on the cold ground. Later on, as the plebes spent their Christmas at the Point, the young lad from Tennessee had a rude foretaste of the long winter ahead...” Classmate Charlie French said, “Bill’s nickname, ‘Cookie,’ was related only to his family surname. His friends, however, were occasionally known to give it the ‘kookie’ pronunciation, a twitting he seemed to enjoy, secure in the knowledge that he was anything but a ‘kook.’ Curious, inquisitive, discerning, Bill’s thirst for knowledge often caused him to appear quizzical, even dour. But no one enjoyed more than he a good joke (his humor standards were high) or a clever pun. With his wry wit he could take a bite out of anyone’s hide — often his own. Bill was a quick learner, easily mastering difficult concepts, both technical and business. After he left the service, his years of success in business and management were easily traced to that characteristic.” Bill excelled academically and on graduation he was assigned to the Corps of Engineers. His first troop assignment was to the Solomon Islands to remap that area of the South Pacific. Jim Barnett, a classmate also sent to the Pacific, noted, “instead of lazy weekends on the beaches of Oahu, Bill took over a unit that was surveying the island of Bougainville. He had his own Navy, an LST and three LCM’s, on which to live and move around the island. As such, he was probably the first member of his class to have a joint service command and as a second lieutenant!” In 1952, Bill was assigned to Ft. Lewis, WA, where he met and married his first wife, Donna Johnstone. Ginnie Meyers, widow of classmate Joe Meyers, also assigned to Ft. Lewis, remembered Bill. “He was always so much fun to be with and had a brilliant mind. He played golf, and we played bridge. Our contact was mostly social because Joe was in Field Artillery and Bill was in Engineers.” Following Ft. Lewis, Bill was assigned to Ft. Belvoir, VA. There, he decided to resign his commission as a captain. After a year in medical school, Bill opted for a career in electronics and management. He began this phase of his life in Akron, OH, with B.F. Goodrich and, later, joined Borg Warner Corporation. In 1959, Bill was promoted, and the family moved to the Los Angeles area. In 1963, Bill became vice president of Borg Warner Controls. At age 36, he was the company’s youngest president ever, a position he maintained after the division’s sale to Emerson Electric Company in 1974. During his tenure, the company led the way in developing uninterruptible power systems, now an integral component of our computerized world. The company prospered, and on Bill’s retirement in 1988 boasted 1,500 employees in California, New York, England, and Italy. Hank Stelling, a fellow Californian who eulogized at Bill’s memorial and who was on active duty in the Air Force program office, remembered that “Emerson Electric had a contract to provide an important subsystem for a highly classified space system. Upon its completion, Bill stated with dry humor that this subsystem represented only five percent of his business, but 95 percent of his headaches. The hardware was delivered on time, within budget and worked perfectly on orbit, a credit to his technical and management skills.” Bill’s West Point education prepared him well for a successful business career but also instilled a passionate patriotism for our country and its soldiers. His strong political views often embroiled him in heated discussions, but he never wavered in his pride and belief in the United States, its military, and the good both have done in the world. With already two children by his first marriage, Bill III and Kathy, he married Christine Lowe in 1977, courageously taking on her two teenage children, Elliott and Erica, as part of the package. The joining proved to be a happy and often hilarious one for all concerned and resulted in close and lasting bonds among the four step-kids. Bill was a golfer, body surfer, hiker, tennis player, and avid skier. After retirement, he and Christine enjoyed many years of extensive travel. They spent much quiet time reading but also enjoyed playing bridge and tennis, spending time with friends and family, and studying classical music. He also kept busy serving on several boards of directors, including being a partner in Plant Engineering, a company he helped found in Chattanooga, TN. After a long battle with a neurological disease, Bill died at home on 21 Aug 2005. In addition to his two children and two stepchildren, Bill leaves two granddaughters and five step-grandchildren. His loving wife and all who knew him miss him terribly. Christine and classmates

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