Robert Cook, who had been a Yale professor, an attorney, and a union iron welder, died of a form of dementia Nov. 29, 2011. He was 77.
Cook graduated from RPI in 1956, having majored in management engineering. After three years as a Marine Corps lieutenant, he came to Princeton and earned a Ph.D. in sociology in 1964. He then became an assistant professor of sociology at Yale. Cook left New Haven in 1973 and moved his family to a remote farm in Worthington, Mass.
There he rebuilt an old house, brought in water, and installed solar plus wind systems to provide electricity. A 20-year welder, Cook also ran a maple syrup business and a sawmill. In 1996, at age 62, he entered the University of Connecticut law school, became an attorney, and spent seven years at the National Labor Relations Board.
In Worthington, he had been chairman of the planning board, a member of the zoning appeals board, and founder of housing for seniors. He even ran (unsuccessfully) for the state legislature.
Cook is survived by Karin, his wife of 55 years; two sons; and two grandsons. A daughter died in 1979. His brain was donated to Harvard Medical School.
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