"You're not going to believe this!" and "What has he done now?"

These are probably the phrases most commonly used when talking about Johnny Cook. The man was legendary: small town roots, decorated Vietnam vet, fashion crisis, electronics expert, avid outdoorsman, automotive "collector", road trip warrior, home improvement guru, culinary connoisseur, loving father to his daughters, and grandfather dedicated to spoiling his grandchildren.

Johnny started out in Omaha, Georgia as one of seven children born to the late Luke Benjamin Cook and Alma Lee Cook. After growing up and attending high school in Stewart County, he attended Southern Tech but also learned the finer points of the "family business" from his father.  Unfortunately, in the late 1960s, the US Navy didn't need his skills with distillation, but his aptitude for electronics was just what they were looking for!

After US Navy electronics schools, Johnny went from San Diego to the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club on the USS Fox. His records listed all of the ribbons and medals reflecting the Fox's critical communications mission, but something was missing- the Navy Good Conduct Medal!  No doubt, he was probably the ringleader in some of the more colorful stories of scavenging, liberty hounding, chit requesting, and general hell raising attributed to the hard-charging crew! His family wasn't really surprised at the lack of the medal; they were just surprised he actually got caught!

In 1968, Johnny made it back to California and married the late Wanda Berry. Wanda did her very best to create the image of a young, mild mannered, civil service electronics expert for the Air Force and Marine Corps, capable of working on sensitive systems worldwide. He always had home cooked meals and wore the daily working uniform of pressed shirts and slacks, but's let's face it, deep down, he was still the lovable, quirky Stewart County redneck he always had been! After retirement, all bets were off, and he did his own thing. His "own thing" usually involved bib overalls, undershirts, bare feet, gas station burritos, moonshine, Vienna sausages, pickled eggs, redbone hounds, and a vehicle with no less than 100,000 miles on it! There wasn't a flea market, estate sale, junk pile, or short dated canned good that was safe from the man! The man had a liver like Dean Martin and a gut like a turkey vulture!

After losing their son, Al, in infancy, he and Wanda went on to have two daughters. Darlyn Cook Freeman and Laurinda Cook were both adored and raised as daddy's girls. That would be Johnny Cook's version of daddy's girls: loved and spoiled with the usual clothes, shoes, and jewelry, but throw in a love of hunting, fishing, cars, home improvement projects, bargain hunting, and everything in between! Both girls could dress for any occasion, rebuild a carburetor, and handle liquor their boyfriends couldn't! He made sure his girls grew up to be strong, independent women, more than capable of handling anything that came their way!

Johnny loved his daughters, but without a second's hesitation, he'd tell anyone who would listen that best things in his world were his three grand kids! Papa was his name and spoiling was his game! There was nothing William Swift (spoiled), Zachary Cook (super spoiled), or Lauren Swift (absolutely ruined) ever wanted that Papa wouldn't do for them or get for them! No distance was too far to travel because family was his biggest joy and what life was all about!

For a man that always seemed larger than life, his passing was without fanfare or fuss. Sometime in night of March 22nd, he slipped away peacefully. Just like everything else in his life, he did it in his own way and in his own time. He leaves behind his daughters, grandchildren, his twin Ronny Cook (Bernice), his sister Dorothy Selph (Edwin), and multitudes of distant family and friends to share their memories.

Somewhere in the hereafter, Johnny Cook is probably happily cruising down a two-lane Georgia highway in an old truck, not a care in the world, barefoot, a hound or two in the cab, and pulling a trailer with an old car he plans to "work on."

At his request, there won't be a funeral, but a party will be held in his honor at Florence Marina State Park in the Clubhouse/Group Shelter on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Whether you're friend or family, come prepared to share your favorite Johnny Cook stories!

Snead Funeral Home is humbled to serve the Cook Family!