Cecil Warren Cook July 18, 1930 ~ October 13, 2022 (age 92)

Obituary

Funeral services for Cecil Cook, 92, of Portales will be held at 10:00 AM, Mon., Oct. 17, 2022 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Phillip Smith officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Daniel Weather, Brandon Cook, Jared Cook, Jonathan Ritchie, Leslie Rector and Darwin Culpepper serving as pallbearers. Military honors will be rendered by American Legion Post #31 of Portales. The family requests that donations be made to American Legion Post #31 in Portales to support the Veterans Military Stones project.

Cecil Cook was born July 18, 1930 in Rotan, TX to the home of Sam and Addie (Carter) Cook, and heaven gained one of a kind, most compassionate, loving and giving man early on Thurs. morning, Oct. 13, 2022. Cecil was the youngest of eight children. The Cook family moved to Portales when he was an infant. He attended the Portales schools where he was very active in sports during his school years. He played both football and basketball. He dearly loved basketball, and enjoyed discussing his basketball days with his friends. In his senior year, 1947-48, his basketball team won the State Championship! This was quite a win for Portales, as this was when all schools, both large and small, competed for the title.

After high school graduation, he attended Eastern New Mexico University for two years. The Korean War had begun, and he joined the US Navy where he served four years, from1950 to 1954. He was assigned to the USAA Cunningham 752 Destroyer and spent forty-one months patrolling waters, protecting aircraft carriers from enemy mines.

After being discharged from the Navy, he returned to Portales, and completed his degree at ENMU. In 1960, Cecil purchased his first insurance agency, and continued in the insurance business until 1990 when he sold his agency. At that time, he got his Real Estate license, and managed the rentals at Eastern Sunbelt Real Estate.

In 1978 he was married to Glenda Hansard, and they continued to make their home in Portales. Cecil was a member of First Baptist Church in Portales. He served Roosevelt County as a State Legislator from 1968 until 1978. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from ENMU in 1971. Cecil was an avid golfer, and maintained his membership in the Portales Country Club until he was 90 years old. He spent many of his retirement days playing golf with friends and his sons, Sam and Jim. He was also a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan, and had a saying “I am a Baptist, Democrat and Dallas Cowboy fan.”

Cecil is survived by Glenda, his wife of 44 years of their home; a son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Ginny Cook of Albuquerque, NM; a daughter and son-in-law, Sandra and Robert Keppler of Midland, TX, another daughter, Melinda Higgs of Las Vegas, NV; a daughter-in-law, Debbie Cook of Clovis, NM; a son-in-law, Kyle McCutchen of Gilbert, AZ; ten grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents four sisters, three brothers, a son, Sam Cook and a daughter, Sheryl McCutchen.

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