James Earl Cook passed away in Holdenville, Oklahoma on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at the age of 91 years.

James is the son of Walter & Mary Alice (Cogburn) Cook, born on January 19, 1935, in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He was brought up and attended schools in Holdenville, graduating Holdenville High School with the Class of 1953. He joined the U.S. Army and served two years, and played clarinet in the Army Band. Due to his father's failing health, he was granted an early honorable discharge from the Army and returned home to take care of the family business, Cook Transfer & Storage. He married Dorothy Ball on October 17, 1957 in Holdenville, where they made their lifelong home. They continued to own and operate Cook Transport & Storage for some twenty years until they closed the doors in 1975. For several years James enjoyed driving trucks, for Kingsberry Homes from 1975 to 1982, for H.R. Hill in Ada, for a local plastic parts company, and finally a delivery truck for Aqua Farms in Holdenville. He gave up trucking but continued to work mowing lawns and doing odd jobs, finally retiring in 2022. He enjoyed metal detecting, and made many area farmers happy with his hobby of hunting crows.

James is preceded in death by his parents, Walter & Mary Alice Cook; his wife of sixty-six years, Dorothy Jane Cook, in 2023; one son, Douglas Cook, in 2016; two brothers, Bill Cook and Bob Cook, and one sister, Eva Ferguson.

He is survived by two children, son Arthur Cook and wife Neoma of Holdenville, and daughter Ramona Edwards and husband Bobby of Huntsville, Alabama;
fourteen grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren.

Graveside services were held and James was laid to rest at Holdenville Cemetery on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 10:00am, with Rev. Dane Robinson officiating.