John Francis Cook

John Francis Cook, 67, of Center Harbor, NH., died April 5, 2017 at Lakes Region General Hospital, in Laconia, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Born in Somerville, Mass on December 16,1949, he was the son of the late Francis A. and Muriel M. (Thompson) Cook. In addition to his parents he was predeceased by his brother, Arthur.

John grew up in Melrose, Mass., graduating from Melrose High School in 1967. He went on to attend Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH, graduating in 1972. He was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and many of his brothers were lifelong friends.

John was the owner of Millwork's Restaurant and Mame's Restaurant in Meredith, NH, but his true passion in life was flying. He acquired his pilot's license in the mid 1980's, and from then on would fly anything and everything he could get his hands on. Besides flying his family to vacations in North Carolina and breakfasts in Maine in his Cessna, John also captained a Piper Navajo and Beech 99 for Skymaster Airlines. After the airline closed in 1993, John became a charter pilot for Emerson Aviation in Laconia, flying to various locations throughout the northeast and Canada.

He was a devoted and loving father, often whisking his kids away for sailing trips in the Caribbean, and solving any car problem they had with nothing more than spray paint and an empty tuna can. He passed on to them his fierce passion for skiing, and one of his proudest days was when both kids could beat him down the mountain. Any day at the mountain with John was spent at a breakneck speed just short of comfortable, and he loved every minute of it. John believed in living life on the edge.

When the snow melted, John could be found on Squam, waterskiing and hosting sunset cruises with his family and friends. He rode his 1975 Honda motorcycle all across the state, and often skipped town for the weekend with his life-partner Jean Gould to bike through Burlington and listen to concerts in Maine.

John loved Meredith and served the town as a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Meredith Program. He had a knack for connecting with everyone he met. Whether they were patrons of his restaurant or the lift operator at Loon, all felt special in John's presence. He lived his life with a "pay it forward" philosophy, and believed in the power of random acts of kindness.

John is survived by his loving children, Chelsey and her husband Sean McEvoy, his son Cody, his sister Betty Cook, and his loving partner, Jean Gould. He is also survived by his nephews Brian, Joseph, Michael, and Timothy Cook, as well as a grandniece, Kayleigh.

John's time on earth was full of love and light, and he touched more lives than any of us can count. He will be missed terribly. In lieu of flowers or donations, please continue John's philosophy of paying it forward. Be kind and help one another, be they stranger or friend.

SERVICES: A Mass of Christian Burial will be held in the St. Charles Borromeo Church, 300 NH Route #25, Meredith, on Monday at 2pm. The Rev. Msgr. Gerald Belanger, pastor, will be the celebrant.

A Celebration of Life will follow at Church Landing, 281 Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith.

Burial will be held in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, in Peabody, MA., at the convenience of the family.