~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, WA/DL Capt. Wendell Lee Cook
June 20, 1942 ~ August 19, 2026
Wendell Lee Cook, a decorated military and commercial airline pilot of Argyle, Texas, passed away on August 19, 2026. In a fitting coincidence for a man who spent so much of his life in the sky, he departed this world on National Aviation Day. He was 84 years old.
Born June 20, 1942, in Whiteface, Texas, Wendell grew up in Holtville, California, a small town near the Mexican border. Even as a young man, he distinguished himself both academically and athletically. He was a star basketball player, class president, and valedictorian of his high school. He later attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
His years in the Air Force marked the beginning of a remarkable career in aviation. He trained on and flew both the F-100 Super Sabre and F-4 Phantom II, distinguishing himself as an exceptional pilot and marksman. At Moody Air Force Base in 1967, he received a flying award during undergraduate pilot training. The following year, during F-100 training at Luke Air Force Base, he received the Barry Goldwater Top Gun Award after placing first in gunnery. In 1969, he again placed first in gunnery during F-4E training at MacDill Air Force Base.
During the Vietnam War, Wendell served as an F-100D pilot at Phan Rang Air Base and later as an F-4 aircraft commander at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. Over approximately two years in Southeast Asia, he flew more than 400 combat missions. His military service earned him numerous decorations, including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Medal, and Purple Heart.
After serving on active duty until 1972, he continued his military service as a major in the Air Force Guard/Reserve. In 1976, he began his commercial aviation career with Western Airlines and later became a captain for Delta Air Lines, where he remained until his retirement in 2002.
Beyond his accomplishments, Wendell had a big personality, a curious mind, strong opinions, and an infectious enthusiasm for whatever captured his attention. He could talk to anyone, and his presence could shift the energy in a room. He also had a remarkable tenderness toward animals. His bird feeders were always stocked, and stray cats and other assorted “varmints,” as he affectionately called them, could always count on finding a meal.
Wendell was an avid follower of current events and a devoted sports fan—not of any particular team, but seemingly of all of them. If there was a game on TV, there was a good chance he was watching.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Ruby Cook. He is survived by his daughter, Vanessa Cook; his son, Justin Cook; his twin brother, Weldon Cook; and his sister, Patsy Cook.
From a small desert town in California to the Air Force Academy, from the skies over Southeast Asia to the captain’s seat of a commercial airliner, his was a life few people could have imagined. Wendell was accomplished and complicated, curious and charismatic, strong-willed and tenderhearted. He loved aviation, animals, sports, conversation, and the people who mattered most to him.
Wendell had a remarkable life, and his absence leaves a profound space behind. He is deeply loved and will forever be missed. His remains will be interred at the U.S. Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with services to be held at a later date.