Hey, everybody. Thank you for the many comments on the website today. I still cannot get over this website – this sense of community is wonderful.

This has been one long day, like no other. Those of you who have written and been through this, are just nodding. We took all the family to visit Henry one last time – at the funeral home. There he was, in his Dodger tee shirt. I could hardly let him go. This cremation thing that he requested, I’ve had a hard time getting around. So – took the three adult kids and we visited the crematory this afternoon and had the “tour”. The fellow was very nice and respectful and talked and walked us through the process, and I am settled about it now, finally.

This all seems so personal here, but then , we’ve been pretty personal these last many days.

So, tonight I just wrote the notice for the paper. I made quite an issue with the funeral people that I didn’t want just a short death notice, wanted an “article”. We will see if they will print this – pretty long, may have to just buy the newspaper space. Whatever.

I have not run this by the kids or John to see their reaction. Also, still hazy on a couple of dates.

I’ll post this tonight, in case anybody is still out there – corrections tomorrow:

Henry Don Cook, 73, of Fort Smith lost a long battle with cancer and died at home Tuesday, February 5, 2008, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born 17 November, 1934 at home on

South 18th Street
in Fort Smith, to the late Viola Mae Humphrey Cook and Paul Francis Cook. He was also preceded in death by “Auntie” Velma Dora Humphrey who raised him and his brother John Paul Cook.

Henry is survived by his wife of 48 years, Bonnie Rene Leavitt Cook, and by his children: Peter Cook and wife Cindy and children Bailey and Jacob Henry of Winter Garden, Florida; Allison Taylor and husband Chris and children Olivia and Hunter of Pocola, Oklahoma; Anne Hammontree and husband Bobby and children Abby and Maggie Grace of Springdale, Arkansas; and brother John Paul Cook and wife Shirley of Fort Smith.

Family and friends are invited to A Gathering in Henry’s honor Friday night, February 8, from 5 to 7 pm at the home in Fort Smith. A Celebration of Henry’s Life will be held Saturday, February 9 at 11 am at the Fentress Mortuary, 1805 North “A” in Fort Smith, followed by burial of the cremations at the Alma City Cemetary.

Henry graduated from Fort Smith High School in 19??, from Fort Smith Junior College in 19??, and from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Geology in 1957 and did graduate work in 1958. He often spoke of his college years as some of the best times of his life.

He worked for Humble Oil based out of Midland Texas, working in various oil fields in west Texas, and field mapped in New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. He married Bonnie on October 3, 1959 in St. George, Utah. They lived in Roswell and Hobbs, New Mexico, where Henry was a well-site geologist, some months putting thousands of miles on his company car.

Transferred to Bengahazi and later Tripoli, Libya in 1965, Henry worked for Esso Libya. In 1970 the family moved to Marsha el Brega, Libya, now working for Exxon, in drilling and reservoir engineering.

The family lived in Saudi Arabia from 1973 to 1994, and lived in Abqaiq, Ras Tanura, and Dhahran, where Henry worked as a drilling foreman, as a superintendent, and as Manager, Offshore Drilling and later, Manager, Drilling and Workover Operations, Saudi Aramco.

Henry was a fine tennis player, but his love was baseball, at which he excelled. He played baseball throughout his life. During the years in Ras Tanura, playing with the U Drives team was a unique experience.

In college he was known as “the only Dodger fan in Arkansas”, and spent a lifetime avidly following the Dodgers and collecting considerable Dodger memorabilia. For more than 25 years he attended the November Dodger Fantasy Camp in Vero Beach, Florida, where he developed many close and dear friends.

Henry enjoyed good cars: his 1959 Corvette, his Porshe 924, and finally settling on a VW Beetle that has the most head room for a big man.

Henry was well known for his beautiful handcrafted hooked and needlepoint rugs and wall hangings. He was a master at jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles. He was an avid reader, especially military history, biographies, and mysteries, and kept up with several periodicals and newspapers. He enjoyed listening to classical music: his fine collection is extensive.

He enjoyed traveling, throughout the USA, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

Henry was loved and respected by many in the various facets of his life – his work and his sports teams.

Above all, he was deeply devoted to his family, who adore him.

We miss him, terribly.

In lieu of flowers, suggested memorials in Henry’s name may be to a charity of choice, to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, or to the Fort Smith Public Library.