If you would like to send flowers, please send on March 25th to 14417 Lamplight Ln, Edmond OK 75013. They will be received by Judy Minton on behalf of John Cook and taken to the Celebration of Life ceremony on Saturday

John Alvin Cook was born on September 28, 1947 in the small town of Chickasha, Oklahoma. Johnny (as he was known to his friends and family) passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, on December 21st, 2021, at the age of 74; just eleven days after being admitted to the hospital and four days after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Johnny was born to Oscar Maurece Cook and Bertha Maydell (Cunningham) Cook and shared a small two-bedroom home with his parents and six siblings through his childhood and early teen years. He was sandwiched right in the middle of the sibling pack, with three older brothers, Bobby, Dale and Roy and two younger brothers and a sister, Joe, Gary and Nancy.

Johnny spent his summers playing baseball, swimming, and water skiing. No one could out slalom him! When he was fifteen, his parents bought him his first "Airline" guitar. It could be said that rock and roll found him and never let him go. At sixteen he was part of his first band, the Cell Mates, as the lead guitar player and they could be heard in numerous towns and venues across the state. He went on to be part of several other bands known as The Cavaliers, Pleasure Seekers and the Rogues; playing rock and roll, blues and pop. Music was a part of his soul. Even in his seventies, he would spend hours in his music room playing one of his seven guitars, learning new equipment or trying to put together a new string of chords.

In 1966, Johnny graduated high school from Chickasha Senior High School and at 19 years old was drafted into the Army via the lottery. He started his service on October 16th, 1967, and after completing Advanced Infantry Training in Fort Polk, Louisiana, he was sent to fight in the Vietnam War. After a debilitating injury to his shoulder, he received an honorable discharge with a National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Purple Heart. While he was on a thirty-day furlough, he married Janyth Kay Christy in Oklahoma City on October 5th, 1968 and then returned to Fort Knox, Kentucky until he was discharged from active duty in August of 1969.

After the Army, he returned to Oklahoma City and attended The University of Central Oklahoma part-time while also working at Safeway and Capital Steel as a draftsman.

In January of 1972, he and Jan welcomed their first daughter, Christy Michelle, and a year later in February of 1973 moved to Carrollton, Texas where he started with the US Post Office and began a lawn maintenance and landscaping business on the side. In March of 1976, they welcomed their second daughter, Carrie Dawn.

Throughout the years Johnny owned, operated and ran various businesses in the retail and service sectors. He owned multiple car stereo stores, plant nurseries and lawn maintenance and landscape businesses. He was deeply adored by his employees and customers and had a reputation for being kind, funny and generous. For 50 years those qualities never diminished, even right up through his eleven days in the hospital where he could be heard giving flower advice to the nurses, taking calls from his foreman, Miguel, regarding customer scheduling, making the doctors laugh, and even causing the interns to get in a bit of trouble because they'd get left behind on rounds from wanting to stay behind and visit longer.

Johnny wasn't just deeply adored by the people in his everyday circle of influence, he was fiercely loved and a special man to his family. In the early years, he poured his time into being a coach for Christy's sports, watching Carrie as a cheerleader, attending in-law events and making trips back to Oklahoma to see his family. It's one thing to win the hearts of your kids, but it's an even bigger accomplishment when you can also win the hearts of their friends, which Johnny mastered year after year and friend after friend.

During those young adult years, he also developed a love for the game of golf and along with playing the guitar would tell you he was happiest when he had a golf club or a guitar in his hands. He would even tell you replaying every hole of Westwood in his mind is what made it possible to get through daunting hours and seclusion of MRIs and required tests during those last days in the hospital.

In 2002, Johnny and Jan moved back to Oklahoma and after 35 years decided to divorce as friends. Johnny stayed in Oklahoma, and for a time, lived with his youngest daughter, Carrie, and two granddaughters, Schylar and Hannah, giving them a special bond and relationship with their Papaw.

For the last twelve years of his life, Johnny found happiness spending time with his life partner, Judy Minton, whom he adored, and being a father figure to her two sons, Branden and Casey. They loved spending time on the lake in their pontoon boat, fishing, watching new shows together and sharing great meals.

For his whole life, Johnny was known as an extremely hard worker, deep thinker, a lover of people and a beacon of light. He had an unforgettable, magnetic presence, with his sense of humor, contagious laugh, sun-kissed skin, beautiful white hair, lifelong mustache, glimmering smile and piercing blue eyes.

There is no other option to consider, except he lived from a posture of selflessness. He was generous with his time, handed out joy, said yes to any needy heart, never shied away from a hard day's work, embraced every neighbor and never denied his last penny from someone down on their luck. Even through his own set of obstacles or times of being "down on his luck", he stood defiantly in a posture of hope and never stopped believing whatever temporary dark cloud that might have rolled in had a rainbow meant just for him hiding right behind it.

On Tuesday, December 21st, 2021 he followed that rainbow straight to his Heavenly Father, where we have no doubt, he is creating new music, playing golf with the best the game ever knew, and bartering with angels for an extra hedge of protection over us all down here that he loved so much.

Of his immediate family, Johnny was only preceded in death by his father and mother. He is survived by his siblings, Bobby, Dale, Roy, Joe, Gary and Nancy, his life partner, Judy Minton, his two daughters Christy Cook and Carrie Fritz, his grand-daughters Schylar Nicole, Hannah Nevaeh and Zaniah Naomi and his son-in-law Wesley Fritz. He also leaves behind many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.

Johnny's Celebration of Life will be held on the second floor of Bandee's Barbecue (13230 Pawnee Dr. #115 in OKC), beginning at 2:30 pm on Saturday March 26, 2022.

If you would like to send flowers, please send on March 25th to 14417 Lamplight Ln, Edmond OK 75013. They will be received by Judy Minton on behalf of John Cook and taken to the Celebration of Life ceremony on Saturday. If you would prefer to make a donation, kindly consider the American Cancer Society or the Oklahoma City Veteran's Affairs.