Richard Walter Cooke, Major USAF Ret.

Richard Walter Cooke, Major USAF Ret. Richard Cooke passed away on July 19, 2016 at the age of 94 from natural causes. Born October 31, 1921 in Olean, New York to Evelyn Davis and Loren Cook, he joined the US Army Air Corps in 1941, received his commission and wings in 1943 and married Glenna Mae Ford in December of 1943 after a whirlwind, wartime courtship. A Purple Heart recipient, he served in WWII as a bombardier on the B-17 with the Eighth Air Force, 457th Bomb Group. Shot down over southern Germany during The Big Week of February 1944, he was one of five surviving crewmembers and was incarcerated as a POW in Stalag Luft 1, Barth, Germany for the remainder of the war. After a brief stint in civilian life, he rejoined the US Air Force and served as Navigator on the B-29 Super Fortress and weapons officer on the F-89 Scorpion, and F-101 Voodoo fighter interceptors. Initially retiring to Colorado Springs in 1969, he later moved to Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, Louisiana where he worked for nearly 20 years for the State of Louisiana as an employment agent. In 1998 he moved with his wife to Denver to be near his children and grandchildren. A huge patron of the arts in his golden years, he thoroughly enjoyed nights out at the ballet, symphony, and theatre. His calm sensibility, wonderful sense of humor and love of his family will be sorely missed. His beloved Glenna preceded him in death in 2001. He was buried with Glenna, with full military honors, at Fort Logan National Cemetery. Surviving are his sons, Gregory and Jerry, a brother Robert Hakes, three grand children and two great-grand children. Donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.