Raymond Cook

Raymond Elliott Cook Born January 2, 1935 in Long Island, NY. He attended Escambia Farms High School where he played basketball and baseball. Raymond was very active in the FFA where he won many awards. After high school he enlisted in the Marine Corp with his best friend Burl. The two ended up in Korea where he fought on the front line in the Korean War. Before leaving  for war, Raymond married his high school sweetheart Jeanette. Once his military career  was over he came back home. Raymond and Jeanette made a home in Blackman where they raised five daughters. To support his family he worked at Monsanto for 34 years and upon retiring he joined the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Possee where he worked for 20 years.

Raymond will be remembered for his love of farming and he could grow anything and believed in giving it away more than selling it. He believed in helping his community. Raymond and Jeanette donated land for the Blackman Community Center and helped establish the Blackman Fire Department and the Blackman Water System. Raymond and Jeanette were married for 66 years.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Jeanette Cook; parents, Huey and Elsie Cook; sister, Helen Hoots and brother, Harley Dale Cook.

Raymond is survived by his five daughters and their spouses, Cathy and Mitch Fisher-Stewart, Debra and Edward Benoit, Marsha and Rusty Nichols, Polly and  Charles Owen and Christy and Britt Corbin; two special young men he considered his own Takeo Sugano and Ta Hirose, and a very  special niece Kelly Hoots Els. Fourteen grandchildren, Mandy Greene, Leila Airhart, Amiee Snow, Christine Collins, Tommy Benoit, Brian Benoit, Randi McDonald, Jodi Nichols, JC Owen, Jordan Morgan, Brooke Rowell, Britton Corbin, Josh Corbin and Brandon Corbin and he had twenty-one great-grandchildren and one brother Gary Hue Cook.

A time of visitation will be held on Friday, August 16, 2024 from 6:00-8:00pm at Whitehurst-Powell Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 3:00pm on Saturday, August 17, 2024 at Union Hill Church of Christ. Burial will follow at Union Hill Church of Christ Cemetery with Military Honors.

Arrangements are entrusted to Whitehurst Powell Funeral Home in Crestview. Guest book and condolences are available online at www.whitehurstpowellfuneralhome.com

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