Charles Olney Cook III ’66

Tony died April 9, 2008, after an eight-year struggle with prostate cancer.

He was born in La Jolla, Calif., and prepared for college at St. George’s School, where he played soccer, ran track, and won a number of academic awards. At Princeton he majored in Romance languages and wrote his thesis on the work of Victor Hugo. He belonged to Colonial Club and was active in the film society, Whig-Clio, and the Trenton Tutorial Project.

After graduation, Tony served in the Army as a military adviser in Vietnam, rising to the rank of lieutenant. In 1972 he joined the French department of the University of Denver, where he met his future wife, Caroline, who survives him, as do their children, Elizabeth, Amelia, and Charlie, along with a grandson.

After several years on the faculty, Tony became an employee-benefits specialist for National Life of Vermont and later formed his own company, Redstone Benefits Systems, which recently merged with the Wright Group of Denver.

Tony was an avid train enthusiast and maintained a strong interest in linguistics, reading, gardening, music, and art. 

We will miss Tony, and we extend our sympathies to Caroline and the family.