My Dad, Oscar Cook, passed away peacefully in his sleep of natural causes August 25th, three days after celebrating his 91st birthday. Dad was a good and honorable man, lived an exemplary life, and will be sorely missed by his remaining family and the many friends he and my mother, Patricia Cook, made during their long lives here in Lompoc.

Dad was born to Floyd O. and Josie Mae Cook August 22, 1922, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Dad's father was an oil field worker and moved the family – including Dad and his sister Ruth – several times before settling in Effingham, Illinois. It was in Effingham where Dad spent his high school days playing football, working at a local gas station, and tinkering with a succession of cars beginning with an old Model T Ford.

Answering the call of duty in 1942 to serve his country in WWII, Dad left his home and family to enlist in the Army. With his mechanical skills, Dad was soon trained in mechanical weapons systems and moved to Army bases in Louisiana, Kentucky, and Texas. Eventually Corporal Cook became a section chief in the 42nd Tank Battalion of the 11th Armored Division in General George S. Patton's famous Third Army.

In February 1944, "Corporal Dad" was assigned to Camp Cooke, an armored tank training base known today as Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc. One evening while on leave from Camp Cooke, and while playing ping pong at the local USO club, Dad met the woman he would marry, my mother, Patricia Stillman. My mother lived with her parents Erwin and Alberta Stillman and 3 siblings; Kenny, Clint, and Lois – all local Lompoc pioneers. By the time Dad's outfit was assigned overseas to join the war in Europe in August 1944, he and my mother were engaged to be married.

During the War, Dad's unit fought in the infamous Battle of the Bulge where Dad's division, enduring unbearable freezing conditions, pushed back a German Panzer tank division to secure the road to Bastogne, Belgium. Eventually the German Army was removed from the Bulge thus beginning the eventual end to WWII. In April 1945, Dad's division had the honor of liberating hundreds of horribly abused Jewish people held captive in the concentration camp at Mauthausin, Austria.

Although the War ended in May 1945, Dad remained in Germany until the end of the year to study agriculture until he was discharged in January 1946. Returning to Lompoc, Dad and Mom were married in June of 1946 in the local Christian & Missionary Alliance Church where they attended for many years. Soon after, they bought their first and only house at 132 South L St. in Lompoc, where they remained until each of their deaths. Mom and Dad had two sons; myself, Michael Cook, born in 1948 and my brother David born 4 years later. David recently passed away.

Dad started his first job after leaving the Army at Johns-Manville Corp. in 1946 where he worked the night shift while Mom worked days at the Lompoc J.C. Penney store on Ocean Ave. Later that same year, Dad took his training in agriculture, crop management, and soil conservation, and began work for the McCrea Seed Company in Lompoc. In 1957, Dad formed Cook Chemical Co. and, using a small loan from his father, bought out the McCrea business. Dad spent the next 7 years successfully serving most of the local Lompoc farmers by applying new technology chemical fertilizers to their crops. In 1964, Dad sold his business to Union Oil Corp. but remained as manager until 1967. Following stints with Dictagraph Security Systems, the Lompoc Warehouse Corp. and Lompoc Van & Storage, Dad retired in 1987.

During his time with Lompoc Van & Storage, Dad realized one of his life's dreams to drive large tractor-trailer rigs. Dad criss-crossed the United States many times caring for other people's belongings while driving for United Van Lines.

During their retirement, Mom and Dad's longtime dream to travel was finally realized as they owned and travelled in various RVs over the next several years. Together with many dear friends scattered along the Central Coast, they spent many happy times camping and enjoying fellowship with other Christian campers.

Dad was active at Calvary Baptist Church where our whole family were members, spent many years of his retirement working for the Lompoc Historical Society at the Spanne-Fabing House museum, was a member of the Odd Fellows Club, worked part-time for Starbuck-Lind Mortuary, and transported elderly folks and cancer patients needing rides to their appointments.

The last few years Dad also took time almost every week day, as his health allowed, to hang out and drink coffee with old friends at the Budget Café. No doubt the world is a better place today because a few old veterans were able to solve the world's problems around a café table.

Mom and Dad enjoyed each other's deep love, faithful partnership, and happy life together for over 61 years. Dad is survived by my wife Shirley and I, our two sons – Dad's grandsons - Aaron of Charlotte, N.C., and Kevin of Rancho Cucumonga, CA., and one great granddaughter, Harley Michelle Cook, daughter of Aaron and his wife Korrina.

You may honor my father's humble yet incredibly significant life by attending his funeral service Friday, September 6th, at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary at 10:00 am. Dad will be lying in state beginning at 8:00 am. There will be a reception following Dad's burial at Evergreen Cemetery at First United Methodist Church, 925 North "F" Street, Lompoc.

Please consider making a donation to The American Cancer Society on Dad's behalf.