~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, WA/DL Capt. Wendell Lee Cook
June 20, 1942 ~ August 19, 2026
Wendell Lee Cook, a decorated military and
commercial airline pilot of Argyle, Texas, passed away on August 19, 2026…….on
National Aviation Day. He was 84 years old.
Captain Cook joined Western Airlines 03-08-1976
and retired with Delta Air Lines in 2002 based Dallas. He is survived by his daughter Vanessa, his
son Justin, his twin brother Weldon, and his sister Patsy.
Obituary : Wendell
Lee Cook, a decorated military and commercial airline pilot of Argyle, Texas,
passed away on August 19, 2026. In a fitting coincidence for a man who spent so
much of his life in the sky, he departed this world on National Aviation Day.
He was 84 years old.
Born June 20, 1942, in Whiteface,
Texas, Wendell grew up in Holtville, California, a small town near the Mexican
border. Even as a young man, he distinguished himself both academically and
athletically. He was a star basketball player, class president, and
valedictorian of his high school. He later attended the United States Air Force
Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of
Science degree.
His years in the Air Force marked the
beginning of a remarkable career in aviation. He trained on and flew both the
F-100 Super Sabre and F-4 Phantom II, distinguishing himself as an exceptional
pilot and marksman. At Moody Air Force Base in 1967, he received a flying award
during undergraduate pilot training. The following year, during F-100 training
at Luke Air Force Base, he received the Barry Goldwater Top Gun Award after
placing first in gunnery. In 1969, he again placed first in gunnery during F-4E
training at MacDill Air Force Base.
During the Vietnam War, Wendell served
as an F-100D pilot at Phan Rang Air Base and later as an F-4 aircraft commander
at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. Over approximately two years in Southeast
Asia, he flew more than 400 combat missions. His military service earned him
numerous decorations, including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross,
Bronze Star, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Medal, and Purple Heart.
After serving on active duty until
1972, he continued his military service as a major in the Air Force
Guard/Reserve. In 1976, he began his commercial aviation career with Western
Airlines and later became a captain for Delta Air Lines, where he remained
until his retirement in 2002.
Beyond his accomplishments,
Wendell had a big personality, a curious mind, strong opinions, and an
infectious enthusiasm for whatever captured his attention. He could talk to
anyone, and his presence could shift the energy in a room. He also had a remarkable
tenderness toward animals. His bird feeders were always stocked, and stray cats
and other assorted “varmints,” as he affectionately called them, could always
count on finding a meal.
Wendell was an avid follower of
current events and a devoted sports fan—not of any particular team, but
seemingly of all of them. If there was a game on TV, there was a good chance he
was watching.
He was preceded in death by his
parents, Earl and Ruby Cook. He is survived by his daughter, Vanessa Cook; his
son, Justin Cook; his twin brother, Weldon Cook; and his sister, Patsy Cook.
From a small desert town in California
to the Air Force Academy, from the skies over Southeast Asia to the captain’s
seat of a commercial airliner, his was a life few people could have imagined.
Wendell was accomplished and complicated, curious and charismatic,
strong-willed and tenderhearted. He loved aviation, animals, sports,
conversation, and the people who mattered most to him.
Wendell had a remarkable life, and his
absence leaves a profound space behind. He is deeply loved and will forever be
missed. His remains will be interred at the U.S. Air Force Academy Cemetery in
Colorado Springs, Colorado, with services to be held at a later date.
