Junior Ray Cook

EDINBURG — Junior Ray Cook, 89, died at his residence at Waterford Gardens in Mission, TX on July 27, 2014. Ray was born on November 5, 1924, in Hominy, OK. Moving to Texas as an infant, Ray lived in Texon and graduated from Reagan County High School in Big Lake, TX in 1942. After graduation, Ray worked for the Big Lake Oil Company before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944. As a pilot, Ray flew both the B-17 and C-46 transport planes. While serving at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, he met Mary Grace Ogden, who was also serving in the Army Air Corps as a dietician. They married in 1947, moving to College Station, TX where Ray attended and graduated from Texas A&M College in 1951 with a degree in Wildlife Management. Ray was first employed with the U.S. Soil and Conservation Service in Mission. Ray later served as Chief Farm Advisor and Farm Manager at Rio Farms in Monte Alto before moving to Edinburg in 1962. Ray worked for the Texas Highway Department before becoming the manager of Hidalgo Co. Water District No. 3 in McAllen, a position that he held for 37 years before retiring in 2004 at the age of 80.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents: Claude and Olive Cook; stepmother Hazel Cook; wife Mary Grace Cook; brothers: Bernard Cook, Stanley Cook and infant sister: Teresa Cook. He is survived by his children: Sharon (Jim) Greenwood of Weslaco and Daniel Cook of Pharr; brothers: Wayne (Deborah) Cook of Abilene, TX; Gene (Jo) Cook of San Angelo, TX ; half-brother Coy (Karen) Cook of Midland, TX; his grandchildren: Wade Greenwood and Kevin Carter of San Francisco, CA; Kelly (Adam) Holman of Austin, TX; Mandy (Jeff) Hartman of Corpus Christi, TX; great grandchildren Hudson Hartman and Bryce Hartman of Corpus Christi, TX and Ethan Holman of Austin, TX; and several nieces and nephews in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Florida. In 2012, Ray moved to Waterford Gardens in Mission. Special thanks goes to caregivers at Waterford Gardens, House Calls Home Health, and Gracia Hospice for providing for all of his medical, emotional and spiritual needs.

Visitation will be held on Thursday evening from 6:00-8:00 PM. A graveside service and burial will be held on Friday morning at 10:00 AM at Highland Memorial Park in Weslaco. Memorial contributions may be made to the Weslaco First United Methodist Church, 520 S. Illinois Ave, Weslaco, TX 78596, (956) 968-7561. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of McCaleb Funeral Home in Weslaco, TX.