Earl Kaae Cook loved the 63 years he spent with his wife and friend Yvonne. His love for her was unwavering. She was his life. He took her on their first date when he was a Junior in high school. They both enjoyed their experiences growing up in Springville, Utah. After their courtship and marriage they lived in Orem and Salt Lake City, Utah, Denver, Colorado, and Omaha, Nebraska. They returned home to Utah in 1973 and lived out their years together in Provo and Orem.
He loved traveling long trips with his family to many parts of the world. They went scuba diving in the Caribbean, Fiji, Australia and Mexico, and heli-skiing in New Zealand. They spent weeks traveling through Europe via car and trailer, as well as most of the United States by motorhome, auto and airplane. Lake Powell was probably his favorite place to be with his family. Most weeks, in the summer, he would leave early Thursday morning and fly his family to Lake Powell. They had all the toys to make it a very fun place to be.
He and his twin sister Kaaren were polio survivors and in later life struggled with post-polio syndrome. He recovered from total polio paralysis after a miraculous priesthood blessing, then pushed himself through recovery exercises and went on to excel in high school sports. The ailments that he suffered his last week of life in the hospital mirrored his experience in the hospital as a youth with polio.
He was the Son of Earl and Lera (Smith) Cook who were the owners of Cook’s Ice Cream. The day that he and his sister were born everyone that came to the shop were given two items for the price of one! Each birthday after that was celebrated with Cook’s ice cream. He was preceded in death by his twin sister Kaaren Cook Okey, his brothers Vaun Maurice and Paul Whitney. He is survived by his wife Yvonne Marie Ames and their children Karlyn Miller (Kevin), Jenifer Jackman (Maury), Shuri Glazier (Richard), Jason Aaron Cook (Anja), Heather Weiler (Hadley) and Brett Ames Cook (Heidi) and his brother James R. and sister Marjean Cook Giraud, 24 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.
He started his own business, Telum, Inc., a petroleum retailer, in 1967. He opened the first self-service truck stop in the United States in 1968 and grew the chain to operate in 26 states. He sold the truck stops in 1986. Most of the people he worked with remained close friends his entire life. He has started or invested in the startup of over 40 Companies. He earned an associate degree in accounting from Steven’s Henagar Business College in 1962. He also designed many of the accounting and reporting systems. He was a member of the original board of directors of Orion Network Systems, Inc. a Washington D.C. based satellite company with the first commercial satellite and satellite positions over the Atlantic Ocean connecting Western Europe and North Africa with most of the United States and South America. He was an owner and manager of a petroleum retailer with convenient stores and a travel center in western Arizona and a petroleum refiner in western Arizona. He sold his interest to his two partners and longtime friends and retired on December 31, 2011.
He has served on the Provo City Library and the Provo City Municipal Airport Authority boards. He was a certified pilot for small twin engine aircraft.
He loves God and Jesus Christ and served in many positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, including bishop, stake presidency, youth leader, family history consultant and temple worker.
He loved gardening and having a beautiful yard and enjoyed teaching and spending time with his grandchildren there.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, November 12, 2022.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 730 E 400 S, Orem, UT 84097
9:30-10:30a Closed Casket Reminiscing and Sharing Memories
10:45a Coffin-Side Family Prayer
11:00a Funeral Service
12:00p Burial Evergreen Cemetery 1997 S 400 E, Springville, UT 84663
Map of car procession from church to burial site
Condolences can be offered at www.legacyfunerals.com.
