Obituary
Kim Cook
1951-2025
Kim Arthur Cook was born October 13, 1951 in South Bend, Indiana. He was the third child of Yvonne/Vonnie (nee McCreary) and Robert Cook, both of whom preceded him in death. Kim died peacefully on Friday, January 17, 2025, at the age of 73.
He is survived by his dear friend, “adopted sister,” Julie Gable, her husband Phil and daughter Ashley, of Rossville, IN, brother Stephen Cook of South Bend, IN, sister Roberta/Robin (Lawrence) Nash of Northfield, IL, nephews Jason Cook, Devin Cook, and Daniel Nash, nieces Sarah Nash and Kristin Browning, great-nephews Nicholas Cook, Eli Cook, Colton Browning, and Theodore Nash, great-nieces Zoe Cook, Samantha Cook, and Leah Browning, as well as longtime close friends Kirk and Sallie Janowiak, Jeff and Peggy Grinstead, Roger and Lana Callahan, Cyndy Clauss and Neal Houze, Rod and Verna Yoder and Alan and Joyce Welch, among many others.
Kim graduated from J. W. Riley High School, South Bend, Indiana, in 1969, and attended Purdue University, obtaining a bachelor's degree in Forestry in 1973. He completed advanced studies in Forest Genetics, before obtaining an MBA degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. Additionally, he independently studied computer science, and utilized those self-taught skills extensively in his various jobs.
Kim first worked at Purdue University part-time in the library as an undergraduate. Following graduation, he spent his entire professional career at Purdue until his retirement in 2018 from his position as Senior Public Policy Analyst in the Agricultural Economics Department. In 2017 he was recognized by the Agricultural Economics Department for outstanding administrative professional service.
Kim was a beloved presence on campus where he also taught several classes, and served as an academic counselor for scores of students over the years, many of whom fondly called him “Uncle Kim.”
After playing undergraduate intramural volleyball, he began serving the University years later as broadcaster for Purdue Women's Volleyball, calling the action at home, and traveling with the team to stream play by play broadcasts on Purdue Radio at all away games. In 1988 he was selected to travel to the Seoul, South Korea Summer Olympics to produce stats to be fed to NBC TV anchors for the US Women's Olympic Volleyball competition. He had previously done the same for ESPN when Purdue hosted the NCAA Volleyball Final Four Tournament the year before. In his long broadcasting career, he set a record among US Women's College Volleyball broadcasters for the number of games broadcast without missing a match.
Kim cultivated expertise in a wide range of interests, becoming an avid golfer, a talented wildlife and nature photographer (also photographing weddings for friends and family), an accomplished singer, bass guitar player and songwriter, forming Cloudburst and then Windborne Gospel Group with friends Kirk Janowiak and Jeff Grinstead. They performed throughout the Midwest for over ten years. He also was a skilled woodworker, specializing in marquetry, learned home-building, and was setting up equipment to do blacksmithing at home prior to the advance of his Parkinson's Disease, which rendered him unable to continue pursuing his passions.
Known for his ready smile, sense of humor, stubborn independence, generosity, and love and support to friends and family, he received in equal measure love and support from friends and family, especially as his abilities continued to decline and he faced cancer in his final years. He will be greatly missed.