Thomas W. Cook ’52

Tom died May 28, 2008, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

He grew up in Elizabeth, N.J., where he attended Union High School. At Princeton he majored in biology and joined Tower Club. After graduation he attended Cornell Medical College in New York. Following a three-year residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Cornell, he served in the Air Force in Texas. He later moved to Santa Monica with his first wife, Nora, and their three children.

Tom practiced obstetrics for 38 years and was a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He also was a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Southern California. He was a pioneer in laparoscopic surgery and received numerous awards for his innovative technique and devotion to teaching.

Tom later married Margaret Town and retired to the Oregon coast, where he spent his days woodworking, tinkering with model trains, and taking long walks with his wife and their dog, Mickey.

He is survived by Margaret; children Thomas and Sean Cook and Maria Semere; stepchildren Steven, Mike, and Marganne Town; and eight grandchildren.