William Owen Cooke ’38, of Greensboro, N.C., died Nov. 29. He was born in Greensboro on Oct. 8, 1917. He was the son of A. Wayland and Annie Owen Cooke. He graduated from Davidson in 1938 and UNC School of Law in 1941.
After service in the Pacific Theater during WWII, he returned to Greensboro, where he engaged in the practice of law. In 1948, he formed the firm of Cooke and Cooke with his brother, Arthur O. Cooke ’37. Cooke was joined in the firm by his sons, Barden W. Cooke ’72 and William O. Cooke, Jr., with whom he practiced until his retirement in 2005.
He was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder. Cooke is survived by his wife, Eleanor Winstead Cooke, 4100 Well Spring Dr., Apt. 1201, Greensboro, NC 27410; his sons, Barden W. Cooke ’72 (Terri T. Cooke) and William Owen Cooke, Jr. (Jane E. Perrin); and four grandchildren, Christina E. Cooke ’03, Laura O. Cooke, Thomas Perrin Cooke, and William W. Cooke. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Arthur Owen Cooke ’37.