Margaret Elizabeth Cook

Margaret Elizabeth Cook of Chestertown, MD, died on Thursday, December 27, 2018, at her home. She was 93. Margaret was born on August 7, 1925, in Normanton, Yorkshire, England. She was the much beloved daughter of the late William Bowen (a coal miner, soldier and true gentleman, with a beautiful voice) and lovely Jane Bowen (nee Greenwood), also a singer. After leaving school at 15, she worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for various people, including a manager at the Ministry of Fuel and Power, during WWII. One of her teachers, Alice Bacon, member of Parliament and Privy Councilor (later to become Baroness Bacon) was her friend and mentor, whom Margaret helped with her parliamentary correspondence. Through Alice, Margaret met the leading politicians of the time, saw the Queen open Parliament on three occasions, and accompanied Alice to investitures at Buckingham Palace. Margaret, like her parents and her brother, also had a lovely voice. She was a member of the Normanton Dramatic and Operatic Society, and sang in local choirs. In 1948, Margaret married Captain Alwyn Kirk REME of Normanton. They moved to Chippenham, Wiltshire and they had three bonny boys, Nicholas, Peter and Robin. After 15 years, during some of which time she was the office manager of a veterinary practice, she obtained a divorce. In 1965, she married an academic veterinarian, Bob Cook, who wishes to put on record, “There never was a better bargain driven.” Life with Bob involved moving from London to Glasgow (and with him on secondment to Kenya), then to Cambridge and Newmarket, Suffolk. In Cambridge, Margaret was co-opted to work for the newly founded Cambridge University Counseling Service, something that she enjoyed doing for a number of years, even though she had three hungry lads of her own at home and her father was also living with them. In 1977, when Bob took up an appointment in the USA at Illinois University Veterinary School in Urbana, Illinois the family emigrated. In 1979, when Bob was appointed Associate Dean for the new School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, they moved to Grafton, MA, and Margaret became the foster mother for another family of students and faculty members. She founded the Grafton Shakespeare Club which, in 2013, is still going strong. In 1998, when Bob retired, they moved to Chestertown. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two very dear sons; Robin Kirk of West Falmouth, MA, Peter Kirk and wife Mary of Hull, MA; four wonderful grandchildren, Alice Walker of London, Madeleine Kirk of Hull, MA, William Kirk of Philadelphia, PA, and Timothy Kirk of Washington DC. She was predeceased by her beloved son, Nicholas Kirk, and her close brother, Harry Bowen. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Thursday, January 10, 2019, at 11 a.m. at Shrewsbury Episcopal Church in Kennedyville, MD. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Compass Regional Hospice, 160 Coursevall Drive, Centreville, MD 21617.

Margaret Elizabeth Cook

August 7, 1925 - December 27, 2018