Ronald D. Cooke
June 5, 1930 — April 9, 2019
Ronald D. Cooke, 88, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, formerly of Maquoketa, Iowa and Beloit, Wisconsin, died Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at his home. Mass of the Resurrection will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, April 12, 2019 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Maquoketa where the family will greet friends thirty minutes prior to service. Burial will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, April 12, 2019 at St. Joseph Cemetery in Chelsea, Iowa. Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids, assisted the family with arrangements.
Ronald was born, the second-youngest of seven children, on June 5, 1930 in Smithland, Iowa to Ivan and W. Alma (Zortman) Cooke. He graduated from Smithland High School in 1949. Ronald was united in marriage to Marilyn Formanek on February 22, 1955 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids. To this union, three children were born.
Ronald began his career at Iowa Milling Company. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a mechanical engineering degree in 1961, and went on to work at Beloit Corporation in Beloit, Wisconsin until his retirement in 1992. After retirement, Ronald and Marilyn moved to Maquoketa, Iowa where they resided for over twenty years before joining family in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 2016.
Ronald was a former member of Sacred Heart Church, Maquoketa. He had an inquisitive mind, and could fix virtually anything. He and Marilyn loved antiquing together; he had a special skill of restoring old clocks and woodworking. Ronald enjoyed traveling and he especially treasured memories of taking road trips and camping across the United States with his wife and children. He will be missed by those who loved him.
Ronald is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Marilyn; children: David Cooke, Tracy Barrett, both of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Diane Geissler of Santa Monica, California; and three grandchildren: Madeline Barrett of Galway, Ireland, Shane Barrett of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Abigail Geissler of Santa Monica, California.
He was preceded in death by his parents; six siblings; and brother-in-law Roger Formanek.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Ronald’s name may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Ronald was born, the second-youngest of seven children, on June 5, 1930 in Smithland, Iowa to Ivan and W. Alma (Zortman) Cooke. He graduated from Smithland High School in 1949. Ronald was united in marriage to Marilyn Formanek on February 22, 1955 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids. To this union, three children were born.
Ronald began his career at Iowa Milling Company. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a mechanical engineering degree in 1961, and went on to work at Beloit Corporation in Beloit, Wisconsin until his retirement in 1992. After retirement, Ronald and Marilyn moved to Maquoketa, Iowa where they resided for over twenty years before joining family in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 2016.
Ronald was a former member of Sacred Heart Church, Maquoketa. He had an inquisitive mind, and could fix virtually anything. He and Marilyn loved antiquing together; he had a special skill of restoring old clocks and woodworking. Ronald enjoyed traveling and he especially treasured memories of taking road trips and camping across the United States with his wife and children. He will be missed by those who loved him.
Ronald is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Marilyn; children: David Cooke, Tracy Barrett, both of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Diane Geissler of Santa Monica, California; and three grandchildren: Madeline Barrett of Galway, Ireland, Shane Barrett of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Abigail Geissler of Santa Monica, California.
He was preceded in death by his parents; six siblings; and brother-in-law Roger Formanek.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Ronald’s name may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ronald D. Cooke, please visit our flower store.