Charles F. Cook ’63

Chap — actuarial whiz, church deacon, and lay preacher — died Jan. 28, 2017, in Shelburne, Vt., of cardiovascular disease.

Raised in Bethlehem, Pa., at Princeton Chap majored in math, ate at Key & Seal, and was active in WPRB and the Tiger. He was in the yacht and rifle clubs, led evening prayer, and substituted for broadcasters at football games. After he and Barbara married in 1962, they lived off-campus.

Earning an MBA from St. Mary’s of Texas, he held executive posts at American International Group (AIG) and United Services Automobile Association (USAA). In 1988 he founded MBA Actuaries, a successful consultancy, which he sold in 2011.

He credited Princeton’s thesis requirement for research and writing skills he used throughout his career. Junior year, rooming with Fred Brandt ’64 and David Miller ’64, he ran the Grinder Agency, later saying the experience provided “as valuable an education as the MBA I earned years later.”

Besides Barbara, survivors include daughters Melanie Tupaj ’90, Cynthia Coach, and Tammy Moshier; brother John M. ’59; and six grandchildren. His father, John ’28, and son Thomas predeceased him.

Barbara’s favorite quote from Chap: “I want to live my life so that when I wake up in the morning, Satan sends an email to all his demons saying, ‘Look out! He’s up again!’”