Russell A. Cookan investment advisor and Army veteran of Hanover, NH and Thetford Center, VT, died at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital on January 8, 2019 at the age of 87.

He was born in Waltham, MA on July 20, 1931, the son of Russell A. Cook Sr. and Phyllis (Claypole) Cook. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1953 and received an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in 1957. He became one of the earliest Chartered Financial Analysts and enjoyed a long and prosperous career in asset management.

He spent many years at Colonial Management in Boston, working on the team which managed the Dartmouth College and Mary Hitchcock Hospital endowments.

Mr. Cook's zest for learning and interest in professional growth and entrepreneurship led him to start his own investment advisory firm in Vermont in 1977. There, he provided his expertise and guidance to dozens of grateful individual clients. After over two decades of providing investment advice, he sold his business to Cambridge Trust Company in 2003, remaining on as a client liaison and a valued member of the investment team until he retired in 2009. Other accomplishments during his professional tenure included being Chairman of the endowment of the Appalachian Mountain Club (for which he received the Distinguished Service Award in 1987), and Life Trustee of the Mt. Washington Observatory.

Mr. Cook was a lifelong outdoor enthusiast. He loved the sugar maple trees and fields surrounding his home. He enjoyed the mountains; he climbed most of the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire, learned technical skills at the AlpinSchule Innsbruck, and completed the Tour de Mont Blanc. He loved sailing and fishing off the coast of Maine and skiing at Cannon Mountain. He had a particular passion for bird hunting at Dartmouth's Second College Grant with his beloved English setters (most recently, Belle) and in the highlands of Scotland. He was an ardent adventurer, traveling twice around the world to visit dozens of countries across six continents. Deeply intellectually curious, his breadth of interests included reading war history, collecting paintings depicting New England life as well as Caucasian rugs, Dixieland jazz, and producing maple syrup at home.

Mr. Cook was an adept conversationalist, sharp-witted and with a humorous take on life. His friends and family fondly remember his entertaining stories and discussions on diverse topics. He was interested in everyone he met and graciously helped others seeking his insight and advice. He had a great love for his family and all that he did in his lifetime served to benefit them.

Mr. Cook is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Marjorie Thomson Cook, whom he met at Wellesley College in 1957, his daughters, Melissa Cook (Bob Demchuk) and Alison Terry (Rob Terry), his son Gordon Cook (Sara Ahmed), and his five granddaughters.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Cook Family Second College Grant Wildlife Habitat Fund, via check payable to The Trustees of Dartmouth College and sent to the Gift Recording Office at the Dartmouth College Development Office at 6066 Development Office, Hanover, NH 03755-4400.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, March 31, 2019 in the Gathering Room at Kendal at Hanover (NH).

Arrangements were under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, NH.