Phyllis Cook

Phyllis Dean Cook, age 77, of Waco, passed away Monday, September 2, 2024.

Phyllis was born on March 23, 1947, in Waco. She was the first child of Detroy Webster Ryter and Geneva Justine Johnson. Phyllis was part of the Baby Boomer generation, the generation with the best music, cars, and knew how to have fun before today’s social media craze. Phyllis attended Hillcrest Elementary, Lake Air Junior High, and Richfield High School, she attended business college after high school and went to work for Behrens Drug Company in Waco.  She had numerous jobs during her lifetime including being a soda jerk at a Waco pharmacy, waitressing and working with deaf children through Baylor University.  She was a fan of Dog, the Bounty Hunter and started her favorite job working at R&R Recovery in Eddy, Texas where she was employed to repossess cars. Phyllis was married to Jerry A. Lanford on December 17, 1967, and they had two children, Melissa and Shelly.  She was married to Donald G. Smith on January 24, 1976, and lived in Port Arthur, Texas before moving back to Waco where she met Michael C. Cook and was married to him on January 24, 1999. Phyllis loved dancing and met Chubby Checker once in a local Waco Club where they danced together. That was a thrill to her, she loved Gospel and Country Western music and had every record of her distant cousin, Elvis Presley. She adored “Blue Christmas” and taught her daughters to dance to it. Her favorite vacations were to the Bahamas and Las Vegas. She also loved Airport Park in Waco and frequently visited with friends and family as a teenager and young adult.