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Obituary for Richard L. Cook
Richard Lawrence Cook, aged 80, passed away surrounded by his family following a lengthy illness in Milford, NH on May 8th, 2020. Richard was born in Natick Massachusetts on the fifth of February, 1940 to Lawrence and Helen (Whitman) Cook. The oldest of seven, Richard spent much of his youth helping to raise and provide for his younger siblings. After completing his education, Richard enlisted in the US Army National Guard; following his service, he travelled to Chambersburg Pennsylvania to attend an art class; while there, he was introduced to Sandra M Poper, who was then a young single mother of an infant daughter. Sandy and Richard quickly fell in love, and were soon wedded. Richard adopted and helped raised Sandy’s newborn daughter, Betsy Jean, as his own. Shortly after their nuptials, Richard and Sandy’s family grew to include two sons; Chris Allen, and Richard Lee. For many years, Richard was employed by The Stanley Company (a manufacturer of men’s clothing) of Chambersburg, PA, overseeing a team of seamstresses and production workers. Richard quickly earned a great deal of respect from his employees as he treated them with dignity and ensured their needs and wants were met. After relocating to New Hampshire, Richard worked for several aerospace and electronics manufacturing firms, including Sander’s Associates, Filtronic-Comtek, and Leeman Labs, often in a supervisory capacity. Throughout his life, Richard was a man of many hobbies and interests; he would spend hours designing and making custom lampshades, costume jewelry, and artwork for friends and family. Additionally, Richard has held a life-long passion for automobiles and automobile memorabilia, amassing a sizeable collection of scale-model cars, and trucks – most of which were based on the cars he yearned for as a younger man. In their golden years, Richard and his wife Sandy enjoyed spending summer weekends at their favorite RV park on the southern coast of Maine, where they enjoyed spending time with friends, family, as well as complete strangers (many of whom later became friends) playing horseshoes, bocce ball, and enjoying each other’s company (and cocktails) around a roaring campfire. Richard has always been a loving and supportive father to his three children, ensuring they had the best life he and Sandy could provide. As a couple, they valued family dinners around the table, family trips, and neighborhood gatherings. Richard was pre-deceased by his loving wife Sandra in 2010, in addition to two brothers; William (who passed away in childhood), and David, who more recently passed. Richard is survived by his daughter, Betsy Bishop and her husband Donald of Milford, NH; Two sons, Chris and his wife Pamela (also of Milford, NH), and Richard and his life partner Beth of Hampton NH. Richard is also survived by four sisters; Carol Burkentine, and her husband Chuck, of Chambersburg PA; Sandra Rice and her husband Elwin of Wilmington, MA; Debbie DeFino of Massachusetts; Dory Osbourne and her husband Ed of North Carolina; Sister-In-Law Mary Cook of Norton, MA and one Brother, Lawrence, and his wife Valerie of Framingham, MA. In addition, Richard is survived by his grandsons Brandon Bishop and his life partner Amelia Nutting of Manchester NH; William and Conner Cook and Corey Molina; and a granddaughter; Cady Swenson and her husband Keith, all of Milford NH; and granddaughter Elizabeth Deziel of Andover, MA. Great-grandchildren include Jackson D. A. LaRoche and Kinsley A. Swenson of Milford NH, and Alexis and Anthony Laurendant of Andover, MA. No services are scheduled at this time, however, a celebration of life will be planned at a later date.
