Industry Icon John Cook Passes Away

DECATUR, Ala. - John Robert Cook, philanthropist, nationally acclaimed businessman, and owner of Cook’s Pest Control, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2009, at his home in Decatur, Alabama, of pancreatic cancer. He was 84.

Cook was known throughout the pest management industry for his creative marketing strategies such as the Cookie the Cop mascot and the catchy jingle now synonymous with the company: “Lookie, Lookie, Lookie, Here Comes Cookie!” Cook loved Decatur, his hometown, and his dedication to the community was evidenced through his humanitarianism toward local, national, and international charities and educational institutions.

“Mr. Cook was a very special person. He has been such a wonderful  mentor for all of his employees and a good steward in the communities in which he lived and had business operations,” said Jim Aycock, president and CEO of Cook’s Pest Control. “Mr. Cook had a  servant’s heart and always worked for the good of others. A person of strong Christian principles and values, he humbly served his Lord, family and community. He will be missed by all that knew him.”

Joey Harris, vice president of sales and service, Cook’s Pest Control, said he was fortunate to have known and work for Cook, whom he considers a model Christian businessman and leader. “His emphasis on service quality and ‘doing things right’ was evident in everything he touched,” Harris said. “‘Doing things right’ is easy to say;  however, even when the situation was tough and easier solutions were  an option, Mr. Cook’s commitment and testimony to quality never wavered. He will be greatly missed.”

Cook was universally respected throughout the pest management industry for his personal integrity and giving nature. “I met John Cook at a pest control conference on a cold January day in 1974 at the University of Illinois,” recalls former NPMA President Jay Nixon. “John reached out to me (that day) in a way that made me feel totally accepted. He continued to give me words of encouragement and friendship through the years. There were never any secrets about his business as he was always willing to share information and help in any way. He was truly a point of light in our industry. I will miss him.”

“We are all saddened by the loss of John, a very brave person who was ready for this day,” added Norm Goldenberg, another former NPMA president. “The word ‘icon’ is often used too freely, but not in John’s case. I had the distinct pleasure to serve with John on the NPMA (then NPCA) Executive Board when he was president in 1973-74. John was the ultimate soft-spoken gentleman. He was able to win the day with his integrity, manner and sincere care for people. John and I communicated during the past few years and the words that came through email were as if his gentle voice was speaking from the page. I will miss John for what he believed and what he accomplished in life.” 

Born January 21, 1925 in Athens, Alabama, Cook was the only child of John L. and Leona Cook. The family moved to Decatur in 1927.

After graduating in 1943 from Riverside High School in Decatur, Cook enlisted in the Navy and served during World War II in Atlanta, Georgia and the South Pacific until discharged in 1946.

Cook studied architecture at Georgia Tech, graduating in 1950. That same year, after the death of his father, he gave up his dream of a career in architecture and returned to Decatur to fulfill termite guarantees for the family business, North Alabama Termite Company, later renamed Cook’s Pest Control. His architectural training instilled within him an attention to detail that was beneficial in growing a pest control business. Under his leadership, Cook’s grew from one full-time employee and only a few accounts to become the seventh largest pest control company in the United States.

Cook was the recipient of countless accolades and honors. His civic involvement included extensive work with the Decatur Jaycees. In 1959, he was named Jaycees’ Young Man of the Year, and in 1961, was one of four men named Outstanding Young Man in Alabama.

Cook served on the following boards: Morgan County Industrial, Central Bank, Regions Bank, Decatur General Hospital Foundation, Calhoun College Foundation, Edwin Hodges Ministries, and Chamber of Commerce Beautification. In 1988, the Chamber honored Cook by naming him Small Business Person of the Year.

Cook served terms as president of the Alabama Pest Control Association and the National Pest Control Association. In 2001, the national association presented him with the President’s Pinnacle Award. That year, Cook’s Pest Control won the Better Business Bureaus’ National Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. He also was a member of the inaugural PCT/Syngenta Professional Products Leadership Awards Class of 1989.

In 1965, with a desire to share their faith, Cook and his wife Jo began hosting a weekly Bible study, from which First Bible Church of Decatur was established. Cook, a charter member, served as an elder for many years. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Cooks were lay staff members with Campus Crusade for Christ and hosted a high school ministry in their home.

In 1980, Cook built Cook’s Natural Science Museum as a place to share the wonder of God’s creation with the public. The museum welcomes visitors free of charge seven days a week. When Decatur Heritage Christian Academy was established in 1995, Cook joined others in freely offering his time and resources in support of academic excellence in Christian education. Globally, he led mission trips to Moldova and Ukraine.

In 2008, Cook’s life story was recorded in the book, “Employee Number 2: The Story of John Cook and Cook’s Pest Control.”

Cook is survived by his wife of 62 years Eleanor “Jo” Mitcham Cook, son John Robert Cook, Jr. and his wife Lyn Striplin Cook, and grandson Brian Christopher Cook, all of Decatur.

He was preceded in death by his parents John Lewis Cook and Leona Long Cook, and an infant son James Lewis Cook.

The funeral for Cook will be held Wednesday, March 4, 2009, at 1 p.m. at First Bible Church of Decatur, 3202 Spring Avenue SW, with

Dr. Steve Bateman officiating and Roselawn Funeral Home directing. Burial will be in Roselawn Gardens of Memory, 741 Danville Road SW in Decatur. The family will receive visitors Tuesday, March 3, at First Bible Church from 4 to 7 p.m.

Pallbearers will be Jim Aycock, George White, Joey Harris, Bill Prince, Scott Dubach and Fred Henderson. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of Mr. Cook’s Thursday morning Bible study.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Decatur Heritage Christian Academy, P.O. Box 5659, Decatur, Alabama 35601.

Click here to read a story about Cook that appeared in the Decatur Daily.