James "Jim" W. Cook Service Information

James (Jim) Wilbur Cook, of Hilltown Township, PA, took his final curtain call on June 24, 2024, at age 82, surrounded by family.

Jim (or Jimmy, as he was affectionately called as a child) grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, son of Mary Jane and George, and grandson of Goldie, Herman Sr., Helen, and Tom, all of whom preceded him. Over the course of his life, he called home several communities in Indiana, California, Oregon, and ultimately Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

He was unpretentious, loquacious (by age 8 he apparently had the vocabulary of a 10 ½ year old), and tenacious (some might say “stubborn” – a trait that runs in the family). He was a master of puns (some might say “Dad jokes”) and had a bit of a puckish sense of humor.

A graduate of Wiley High School - where he played football and was a member and leader of the school community service club - and of Indiana University - where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Theatre Arts, Speech and Education - his career took many storied paths, albeit with common threads throughout. He challenged young minds and exposed them to folk music, literature and politics as a high school and college teacher of English, theater and public speaking. He directed and produced community theater (favorite plays included Spoon River Anthology, Alice in Wonderland, The Fantasticks, and anything by Bertolt Brecht) and co-founded the experimental Eartheatre Actors Company. He worked odd jobs and tended farm fields while living on communes (one of which included two pet deer). He managed college bookstores, and for the longest stretch, was a manager/director of sales and marketing in the publishing industry, which took him on many travels throughout the country. A proud Eagle Scout (second of three generations), he also continued to positively influence young lives outside of work as Scoutmaster to his son’s troop.

He lived a mostly quiet life, yet with a certain intensity, intentionality, and consistency. He was a collector – of things (like wooden boxes and greeting cards), of people, and of stories. You’d never find him without his Day Timer, where he wrote everything down, and he was never one to say no to ice cream or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

He loved going out to breakfast (and making pancakes Sunday mornings when his kids were young), story time with his grandchildren, researching his family's genealogy, taking walks at Peace Valley Park, rescuing volunteer seedlings that popped up in the yard, and watching the bald eagles soar high above the Delaware and Sassafras Rivers.

Jim is survived by his beloved wife and partner, Nina; his children, Sean (Joelle) and Meghan (Mike); seven grandchildren; and his sisters Linda and Cathy (Dennis).

A celebration of life will be held at a later date, details to come. In lieu of flowers, please direct charitable donations to the Pan Foundation https://www.panfoundation.org/ or Cooper’s Campaign https://www.gofundme.com/f/cooperscampaign1

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