Bryce G. Cook, 75, a resident of the Big Lake community, passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon.
Bryce was born in Bellingham on March 29, 1940, the son of Isaac & Thelma (Wood) Cook. He was raised in Bow where he attended Edison Elementary and Burlington-Edison High School. He was the state wrestling champion his senior year, graduating in 1958. He then attended Washington State University, graduating in 1963 with a degree in education. He was a four year letterman in wrestling, team captain and the Pac 6 champion.
On July 8, 1960 Bryce was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Donna Miller and they made their home in Edmonds.
Bryce taught Industrial Arts and was the wrestling coach at Edmonds High School for 2 years, at Woodway High School for 26 years and at Edmonds-Woodway High School for 2 years until his retirement.
Bryce was very active in the wrestling community. He was a coach for 30 years; was a founder of the Wrestling Rhino free style wrestling club; was a recipient of the B-EHS Athlete Hall of Fame, the Edmonds-Woodway HS Coaches Hall of Fame, the Washington State Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Washington Wrestling Coaches Association and was WWCA secretary. He was a member of the Lutheran Church in Edmonds and Mount Vernon.
His leisure time activities were hunting, fishing and riding his dirt bike with his family.
Bryce is survived by his wife of 55 years, Donna Cook of Big Lake. His children, Christina Granard and her husband Rob of Woodinville and Mark Cook of Ridgefield, WA; his grandchildren, Tristan, Gavin and Kaitlyn Cook and C. Dylan & Danica Granard. His twin brother, Bruce Cook and his wife Helen of Big Lake and brother Lloyd Cook and wife Charlotte of Zillah, WA and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
The family requests that contributions in Bryce’s name be made to Parkinson’s Research. www.parkinsonhope.org or the Jack Reynolds Scholarship Fund, www.jackreynoldsscholarshipfund.org
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 11:00 AM at the Camano Chapel, 867 SW Camano Drive, Camano Island with Pastor Chris Kramer officiating. Private interment will be at the Bow Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.
I didn’t know coach Cook passed away until now. My sincere condolences to his family; so sorry this is so late. I Googled coach to see what he was up to. My high school son just started wrestling this year. As I tried to recall wrestling moves and skills I learned years ago, it brought back memories of coach Cook and all the things he taught me about wrestling and about life in general. Every winter for 4 years, in a smallish room at the back of an old school building, coach Cook taught us, molded us, guided us to become wrestlers, and men. It was hard. And he willingly allowed many young men to come in to that room and allowed the majority to walk out that couldn’t handle it. The ones that stayed he coached. He took a scrawny 98 lbs freshman with no skills and no toughness and coached me into someone i couldn’t imagine for myself at the time. And along the way I made great friends with a great bunch of guys that got to experience the environment and culture that Coach Cook developed for us. Many of the successes that I have enjoyed in my life I believe have come in part because of the foundation of toughness, perseverance and grit that I learned as a wrestler at Edmonds-Woodway HS for Coach Cook.
Thank you Coach.
Mr Cook was my teacher at Woodway High School all three years 1st graduating class 1970 . He was a real teacher,mentor and a safe place in the mist of a storm… the sixties ! Industrial Art such a good subject to teach young men and young women not many girls back then… I still use the skills he taught me, so family and friends I will bend a knee today and thank our creator for Bryce!
I graduated from Everett High School in 1958, the same year as the Cook twins. My senior year I was co-captain of our wrestling team. Whenever our team wrestled Burlington, the guys would joke that none of them wanted to get cauliflower ears like Coach Bo Campbell, but I always had another thought: which twin would I wrestle this time? For some reason or maybe for no reason, one twin would wrestle at 127 and the other would wrestle me at 133. And I would always lose by something like 2 to 4. In 1958 the three of us went to the State Wrestling Tournament held at Washington State College but again I lost to one of them. I thought that someday I would run into one or both of them and find out if there was a reason for switching weights. Sadly now, I only have one of the twins to ask.
Bryce was a great coach , a great teacher to young students , a great father , and most of all a great person , who I have looked up to for many years. Thanks also for being such a champion for the sport of wrestling , you have made it better for the state of Washington….You will be truly missed…God Bless.
A friend,
Randy Audette
We had the priviledge of getting to know Bryce through playing tennis. He was an encouraging partner and a worthy opponent! A coworker of mine signed up to play in the league with us. He was in his 40’s and fairly athletic. I talked with him the day after his first match to see how it went for him. He said – well, I got to the courts for my match and my opponenets appeared to be a guy with Parkinsons and a grandmother – and they beat the pants off my partner and me!
Bryce offered encouragement to many new players and friendship to all. We are thankful for him.
Donna and family. It is with great sadness that I read Bryce’s obit in the Everett Herald. I know that it isn’t easy to loose a loved one but he doesn’t have to suffer any more. He was an outstanding individual and I know that he will be missed by all his friends and family. Rest in peace, dear Bryce! Our thoughts and prayers are with each of you.
Bryce played tennis with myself, Phil Waterwall, my wife Jan, and others. He had a great drop shot. He also had a great attitude and sense of humor.
We will miss him and think of him often.
May God bless his family and all of his friends.
Go with God, Bryce.
You were never the enemy even when you sat on the other side of the mat from Bryce. The match was just an opportunity for both sides to teach kids to be better wrestlers and young men. I was fortunate to share many such times with Bryce from across the mat. His wrestlers were always very well prepared and good sportsmen, as was he, both in victory and defeat. He taught us all to be better.
SO many lives have been enriched by having been loved by him, taught, coached, been “involved in activities, and called friend by him. God surely has a special place for him……
I was very sad and sorry to hear of Bryce’s passing. I coached wrestling and football with Bryce. I always had the greatest respect for him. He was a friend and mentor. Bryce not only taught me about wrestling, more importantly he taught me about life. He did the same for his students. Brice was a very smart man but the smartest thing he ever did was to marry his wife, Donna Cook. He will be greatly missed.
Larry Wiley
Bryce was a great person with such a connection to his students. He had a wonderful family and we are thinking of you all during this difficult time. He will be missed but we know we will see him again someday. We are out of town when his memorial will be held but will certainly connect up soon, Donna, with you. Prayers and peace to you all.
One of my favorite teachers, learned a lot from him.
My wife and I will attend Coach Cook’s memorial service. I am glad he is free from the disease that held him back in life, though he lived enough lifetimes as a teacher and coach that he had the toughness to take on what ever life dealt him.
God Bless You Coach Cook and I hope you are enjoying the NCAA Wrestling from Heaven, it is from New York City at Madison Square Garden. They now have a 4 point near fall, four count = 4 points, this replaces the five count 3 point near fall.
Makes ground wrestling more interesting.
Love, Loggy
I am so sorry for your loss I graduated 1985 with Mark mr cook was my teacher and friend. He gave out the best advice when I needed someone to talk to. He is at rest now and I’m sure he will be looking down to make sure everyone is doing well. I will cont to keep you and your family in our prayers.
In my mind echo the voices of only a handful of men who urge me to strive for my best and never settle for less when it is in my power to excel. Mr. Cook’s voice will forever carry over the din of the machines; his dedication to all who had the fortune to be one of his students built in us a legacy that will persist long after the myriad clocks he helped us cobble together have stopped running. The wood and metal merely provided the context through which he expressed his true art: crafting the lives of young men and women. Thank You, Mr. Cook. I am who I am in great measure because of you. (Woodway HS, Class of 1989)
Great teacher and coach..will be missed
Donna and family,
I am very sorry for your loss and I will keep you all in my prayers.
Dear Christy (Cook) Granard and family,
My condolences to you and your family for the loss of not only a father, but a wonderful wrestling coach and friend to everyone who knew him and loved him. He is in God’s hands and will teach the angels the positive aspect of Wrestling in heaven. I was blessed to know him at Woodway high school.. Class of 81
RIP Coach Cook. You will be missed by your loving family!
What a great man! My driver’s ed. teacher. I loved to watch his wrestling teams compete, as they battled so hard.
Mr. Cook was one of my all-time favorite teachers (including college & grad school!). May he rest in peace & may his loved ones be comforted. The world was much brighter for his presence in it!
I’m proud to say Bryce was my friend and was more than a friend to my wife and children.Even though I am a Woodway grad, I didn’t have him as a teacher or choach. I knew him as one of the teachers but from some inter action with him I knew that he was always truly interested in all of the students and really cared for all of us. As an adult and father my family and I spent many 3rd-4th of July’s at his home on the lake. We were treated as family and welcome anytime. My deepest and loving thanks to Bryce and Donna for all those times.Untill we meet him again in heaven we love you Bryce.