Charles E. Cooke

Charles Cooke, better known as Cookey, died on Wednesday, November 4 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Reading.
Cookey was ill recently, having survived multiple bouts of pneumonia after having defeated esophageal cancer more than a decade earlier. Having beaten back death on several occasions, the latest episode proved to be too much.


Born in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1942 to Lourene and T. Gilpin Cooke, Cookey was raised on a farm and had a lifelong passion for growing food and working outdoors. His vegetable garden was the envy of everyone who met him, and many a visitor to the Cooke home in the summer walked away with a bag of fresh produce in addition to the smiles he grew with the same dedication.
Cookey was active in the local Dillsburg community and school activities, serving as the state treasurer of the Future Farmer's of America, and two-time president of the local Farmer's Fair. Just a few weeks before his passing, Cookey returned to Dillsburg to take part in the 100th anniversary celebration of the local festival.

Cookey left the farm to serve as a conscientious objector at the Norristown State Hospital in 1963. It was there that he met Jean Gundrum, who was a nursing student at another nearby hospital, and the two fell in love.
They moved to Leesport, PA, in 1967 and promptly brought their first child, Audrey, into the world just a few days after settling into their new home. A few years later, their son Dale was born.

Cookey retired from 40-year career in the grocery industry to tend to his garden and, as he described it, keep the people who make those TV ads employed.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years (Jean), his daughter Audrey, who is married to Marty Rothermel, and together gave Cookey two grandchildren, Nathan, and Lauren, and his son Dale, who is married to Lily Cooke.

He is also survived by his sister, Joyce Reiner, his brother Tom Cooke and wife Dolly, and an extended family of numerous brothers and sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Services will be held at Milkins Giles Funeral Home Inc. 4914 Kutztown Road, Temple, PA 19560 on Monday, November 9. A viewing will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, with the funeral services immediately following.

Interment will follow in Zion's Church Cemetery, Perry Township.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to the Epilepsy Foundation, 8301 Professional Place, Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785 or online at www.epilepsy.com