On Aug. 8, 2022, Stuart McDowell Cook, 83, passed away peacefully at home in Cazenovia after a lengthy struggle with dementia. Growing old, he would remind us, ain’t for sissies. But as he would also point out: no rain, no rainbows.
Born in Charlotte, NC, on March 17, 1939, to James Carter and Ellen Stuart Cook, Stuart later attended Bronxville High School, where he played football, and then went on to Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y. After graduation, he followed in his father’s footsteps, spending a few years in the insurance business, traveling across Upstate New York and the North Country—which did not feel like the makings of a lifelong career to him but did lead him to acquire lakefront property on Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondacks.
So he changed course and applied to Boston University Law School, surprising his former professors—and, most especially, his father—by getting in. Following graduation and successful passage of the New York bar exam, Stuart developed a practice in real estate law and became one of the founding partners (along with his dear friend Gerry Davidson) of Davidson, Fink, Cook, Kelly and Galbraith in Rochester, N.Y.—known today as Davidson Fink.
Stuart enjoyed many years with family and friends at the cottage he eventually built on Blue Mountain Lake, and—following retirement in 2006—extended trips with his wife on The Determined, a 40-foot sailboat. He skied, paddled and bicycled his way over countless miles around the world. With helpful support from his good friend Jim Brown, Stuart also became an avid and skilled woodworker in his retirement in Skaneateles, crafting handmade furniture and scores of the cutting boards that he always generously gifted to family, friends and people he had just met.
Stuart is predeceased by his parents and his brother, James Carter Cook, Jr.
He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Carol Ann Cook; sons Stuart Jr. (Beth) and Dean Russell (Angie); step-daughter Amy (Eric) Smith; grandchildren Eloise, Kaleb, Hali and Eva; his former wife, Susan Cook; his niece and nephews; and numerous close friends.
Per Stuart’s wishes, no services will be held. His sons, though, will be making sure some of Stuart comes to rest in the Blue Mountain Lake area. Out of respect for one of his favorite rituals, everyone should make time for ice cream.
And because he’s no longer here to accept your cash himself, please contribute to whatever is meaningful to you in Stuart’s memory. Leave condolences at mathewsonforani.com.
