Stephen Cook

STEPHEN COOK

Palo

Stephen Justin Cook of Palo passed away Saturday, April 17, 2015, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics from injuries sustained in a car accident. He was 35. Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Bohnenkamp-Murdoch Funeral Home, 925 W. Main St., Manchester. A funeral Mass will be held for Stephen at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Ryan. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery.

Family and friends were incredibly important to Stephen. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Lisa Wulfekuhle; and amazing father to his son, Lucky, 16; and daughter, Piper, 3. Stephen, known to many as Beano or Cook, is also survived by his parents, Donald and Karen Cook of Ryan; brother, Nathan Cook of Fredericksburg, Va.; sister, Joelle Cook and husband Shawn Wright of Seattle, Wash.; sister, Jennifer Cook and fiance Ryan Luse of Des Moines; brother, Christopher Cook and fiancee Ashley Richardson of Fort Worth, Texas; grandfather, Ray Cook and wife Doris of Winthrop; parents-in-law, Randy and Ellen Wulfekuhle of Manchester; and brothers-in-law, Arron Wulfekuhle and wife Kelly of Cedar Rapids, Chad Wulfekuhle and fiancee Robyn Morris and sons Aiden and Mason of Manchester, and Todd Wulfekuhle and wife Samantha and son Reid of Palo.

He is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, fellow firefighters and colleagues who loved him and know that they are a better person because of him.

He was preceded in death by maternal grandparents, Leslie and Rosemary Tumey of Ryan; paternal grandmother, Lorraine Cook of Winthrop; and cousin, Michael Tumey of Hopkinton.

Stephen lit up every room he walked into. He was a gifted story teller and could turn even the most banal occurrence into a hilarious tale. His wit, kind heart, infectious humor and easy going nature led to many strong friendships. As one friend reflected, "To know Stephen was to love him." He was the go-to guy for many of his family and friends, always willing to help out when needed or to take on new challenges.

Kind and generous from the start, Stephen spent much of his time volunteering in his community. He coached various little league sports in Ryan and Manchester. For the past decade, he was able to live his dream of being a volunteer firefighter, first in Ryan and, for the past five years, in Palo. Stephen was an organ donor and we hope that many lives will benefit from his generosity.

Since 2008, Stephen worked for the city of Cedar Rapids Water Division. Prior to that, he worked for the cities of Central City and Ryan and the Delaware County Conservation Board. Stephen was a 2002 graduate of Iowa State University and a 1997 graduate of West Delaware High School.

In his short life, Stephen brought love and joy to so many people. He was a genuinely great man and will be cherished, loved and remembered by all who were blessed to know him.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established or donations may also be given at https://fundly.com/stephen-j-cook-memorial-fund to contribute to college funds for Lucky and Piper.

Please share a memory of Stephen at www.murdoch

funeralhome.com under obituaries.