Stephen Cook

Stephen Robert Cook was born on September 20, 1947 in Manchester, England to John Francis Cook and Doris Wolfenden Cook. He passed away on November 5, 2012 in St. George, Utah. Steve was a gifted student from a very early age and was proud to attend Oldham Hulme Grammar School in England. His passion for learning and remembering stayed with him his entire life.

As a teenager he moved to Salt Lake City where he met and married the beautiful Karen Pedersen of Salt Lake City and they were sealed in the London Temple in April 1971. They lived in England for the next eleven years, and had five children. A sixth child was born after moving back to Utah. While living in England, Steve was a career teacher and administrator. He served in a Bishopric and a Stake Presidency, but his true love was teaching, and he was a renowned Seminary and Institute teacher. He worked faithfully and tirelessly in the Church Education System to raise the profile of the scriptures, Institute and Seminary with great success; many of his students in the British Isles have expressed a great debt of gratitude for the foundation he laid in this area of the church.

He also took great delight and priority in nurturing his young children in the gospel. He made a deliberate effort to fill our home and hearts with spiritual things, to create a heavenly home. Gathering around as Steve played the 12 string guitar, scripture scavenger hunts, music filling the home, long drives, and cheering on the Utah Jazz and Manchester United football are just a few of the memories his children will treasure forever. He laid an eternal foundation for his family.

Upon returning to Utah with his family in 1979, he earned a Masters Degree from Brigham Young University and taught seminary at Bingham, Hillcrest and Alta High schools. He was a writer and editor of religion and curriculum for the LDS Church for twenty-five years. He had an exceptional mind and an outstanding ability to teach the gospel. He devoted his life to the studying and teaching of the scriptures and to imparting in each student a love and fervent desire to study and come to know the doctrines of the gospel. He was a seeker of truth. He was a great witness of Jesus Christ and had an unshakable conviction of the Savior.

In May 2002, Steve married loving Alison Foster in the Preston, England Temple and along with her daughter, Alana lived in Oldham, England and Spanish Fork, Utah. In recent years, he lived in St. George, Utah and had the privilege of working in the St. George Temple and of teaching a youth Sunday school class.

Steve is preceded in death by his parents, his former wife, Karen, and his son-in-law, Jared Bentley. He is survived by his wife, Alison, three brothers, David, John, and Martin Cook, all of England and by his seven children, Tammy (Barry), Andree, Rebecca (Kirk), Carilee (Brant), Joe, Lindsey, and Alana and by fifteen grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Friday at 5:00 p.m. at the St. George East Stake Center, 345 South 300 East with a viewing prior at 3:30 p.m. Burial will take place on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Cemetery 200 North Street. Published in Deseret News on Nov. 8, 2012