Robert Sutherland Cook Jr. ’39

Sud died of congestive heart failure Aug. 14, 2005, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, his lifetime home. He was surrounded by his wife, four daughters, and son, and at his request each in turn reminisced about the good times they all had shared.

In his business career he served as director or president of family-owned businesses, including the Roosevelt Hotel, Merchants National Bank, and the J.S. Cook Co. He served as president of the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa Hotel Association, and served on the Cedar Rapids Downtown Association and the board of education of the Cedar Rapids school district.

But above all, Sud was widely known and loved by the countless people he helped in their struggle with alcoholism. He was extraordinarily frank about his own battle with alcoholism, celebrating 50 years of sobriety last January. A member of the Area Substance Abuse Council, he helped found the Sedlacek Treatment Center and spoke about alcoholism in schools and public venues. A friend remembers that he would go out to meet people who were suffering from alcoholism morning, noon, and night.

He is survived by his wife, Josephine; their five children; 13 grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters, to all of whom we express our deep sympathy.

The Class of 1939