MELVIN T. COOK

Melvin T. (Mel) Cook, age 81, of New Hope, Pa., Havertown, Pa., and Hopewell Twp., Pa., died peacefully on May 25, 2018, surrounded by his loving family at St. Mary's Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa., under the loving care of Chandler Hall Hospice. Mel was born April 18, 1937, in Hopewell Twp., Aliquippa, Pa. He was preceded in death by his mother, Claire (Billy), and father, Frank (Jickles) Cook. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Margaret (New Hope, Pa.); a daughter, Kathleen (Bensalem, Pa.); a son, Jeffrey and his wife Trisa (Gilbert, Ariz.); a son, Patrick and his fiancée Kristin (North Chelmsford, Mass.); two sisters, Nancy Mayhue (Aliquippa, Pa.) and Judith Compston (Hookstown, Pa.), and four grandsons, Shawn (Philadelphia, Pa.), Tyler (Dallas, Texas), Ryan (Riverside, N.J.), and Nicholas (Riverside, N.J.). Mel was a 1955 graduate of Hopewell High School, a 1960 graduate of Geneva College (BS), a 1965 graduate of The Ohio State University (MS), a 1972 graduate of The University of Wisconsin (MA), and a 1979 graduate of Slippery Rock University (MEd). Mel also served proudly in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1960-1966. He played football, basketball, and baseball while at Hopewell and then played baseball on three championship teams while at Geneva College. Mel began his teaching career with Science at South Side Beaver High School in 1960, where he also coached baseball. He then moved on to teach Biology at Hopewell High School in 1963, where he was actively involved in many sports programs. Next he moved to Haverford Twp. School District in 1981 as the Dean of Science, where he coached the National Championship Science Olympiad team. He retired in 1994 from the PA State Teachers Association and spent several years teaching part time at several private schools. Mel finished his career in education as a Professor at Lancaster (PA) College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Family services are entrusted under the care of LEAVER-CABLE OF BUCKINGHAM, 215-794-7696. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., July 21, 2018, at the Ohio U.P. Church in Hopewell Twp, Pa. In lieu of flowers, we are asking for donations to the Hopewell High School Baseball Boosters Club. https://www.gofundme.com/melvin-cook-memorial-fund