Ralph Martin Cook

Ralph Martin Cook, 85, passed away, Monday, January 25, 2016, at the Villages of Jackson Creek in Independence. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, Feb. 1 at St. Marks Catholic Church, 3736 S. Lee's Summit Rd, Independence, MO 64055. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Sunday evening at the Speaks Suburban Chapel, 18020 E. 39th St., Independence, MO 64055, where there will be a Rosary recited at 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening at the chapel. The family requests contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association, 3846 W. 75th St, Prairie Village, KS 66208. Ralph was born November 11, 1930 in St. Louis, MO. the son of Stephen and Loretta Cook. He grew up in Montrose and Germantown, Missouri. Ralph graduated from Montrose High School in 1948 and married Wilma Ruth Morris on October 2, 1954. They moved to Kansas City and spent the last 49 years at their home in Independence. Ralph joined the Operating Engineers Local 101 in 1965 and worked as an electrician in highway construction until his retirement at the age of 67. His first union job was with J.A. Tobin Construction Company, followed by employment with Clarkson Construction Company. He was a devoted husband and loving father who spent his life helping those around him. Ralph was preceded in death by his wife Wilma, his mother and father, Steve and Loretta Cook and his brothers Gene, Cecil and Bill. He is survived by his four children, Denise Ann Henry, Lisa Gail Huber, Gary Martin Cook and Brian David Cook; his twelve grandchildren, Ian, Andrea, Eric, Matthew, Chelsea, Dana, Nicole, Mallory, Andrew, Kirsten, Gwyneth and Gillian and his brother Bob Cook.