Bio, 2009: Wiley Cook
Hello, friends.I have thoroughly enjoyed all the bios. I apologize for procrastinating the writing of this one. There is one big factor regarding procrastination. It can usually be put off until later. It is now later.
At the end of the summer following our graduation from C.E. Donart, Jed Lohmann, Bob Chada, and I took a road trip to Colorado prior to beginning our freshman year at college. We ended up towing Bob's ‘56 Chevy back from Colorado Springs with Jed's ‘54 Willys jeep. I then managed to shoe-spoon a four year course of civil engineering studies at Oklahoma State into five years and a summer session. I graduated in 1969 with a degree in civil engineering and a "well rounded" undergraduate experience.
I spent four years with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation as a highway engineer with responsibilities for various roads and bridges on the Tulsa urban expressway system before leaving for the private sector. (Despite my desire for an idealistic career in public service, I learned early in the ODOT experience that I would not make a good long term bureaucrat.) I spent the next 8 years working for heavy construction contractors on major water resources projects, including assignments as project engineer for the Waurika Dam in southwestern Oklahoma and the Sardis Dam in southeastern Oklahoma. These are two of the three longest earthen dams in Oklahoma at 3-¼ miles and 2-¾ miles, respectively. In the early ‘80's during the oil boom, I joined a friend's oilfield service company as Manager of Operations and Engineering. We provided rigging engineering and heavy crane service to the drilling industry until Penn Square Bank's toilet flushed at 9:00 am on July 5, 1982. At that time, I decided to "hang out my shingle" and opened what has become Wiley N. Cook and Associates, an engineering and construction management consulting firm located in Edmond. I am a registered professional engineer in Oklahoma and other states. For the last 27 years, our small engineering firm has served clients nationwide on projects relating to water resources, oil and gas waste management, residential and commercial land development, military and industrial works, and construction management. For the last 22 years, I have served as a member of the American Arbitration Association National Panel of Construction Industry Arbitrators, both an honor and a serious responsibility. About 8 years ago, I realized a life-long dream by starting a home building company, Lakeview Custom Homes, in Edmond. I like to build about 5 executive homes a year, but that will not happen this year, due to the market. Many of you have retired or are looking forward to retirement. My personality and psychology is such that, for me, "retirement" is a word not included in my vocabulary, although, I am likely to somewhat reduce the level of intensity, as time goes on.
During my time with ODOT in Tulsa, I met my first wife Kay at Oklahoma State on a blind date fraudulently arranged by a friend. We were married a year and a half later on my parents wedding anniversary. (I was very fascinated by her short skirts.) We now have been married for nearly 39 years. I am certain that many of you will understand when I tell you that those years include 35 or 36 of the happiest years of my life. After nearly 14 years without children, in 1984, we were blessed by the God-given miracle birth of our son, Daniel (Ask. We love to tell the story!) Some of you may recall that Kay was pregnant at the 20 year reunion. For the next 18 years, Kay and I seriously focused ourselves on rearing our son. He graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, is single (looking), and works in the Fort Worth area as a real estate appraiser. Kay is active in volunteer work with several Christian women's ministries. I speak to Christian church groups, as the opportunities arise. She and I share a mutual love and respect for our Christian ministers. We serve them in as many ways as possible, as often as we can, in our unofficial "ministry to ministers" (in general, the Christian community drains them dry without providing ways for them to refresh themselves).
Life here is good. I still love to hunt and flyfish. Kay and I both look forward to seeing all of you who are able to attend this 45 year reunion. (Kay has adopted our classmates as her own.) We look forward to hearing from all of you who are unable to attend. We encourage all to begin to make plans now to attend the 50 year reunion in five years. We are "Pioneers, Forever"!
Warmest personal regards,
Wiley Cook
©2009 Stillwater High School Class of 1964