Janet Cook

Friend of Theatre and Speech Communication

1943-2005

A message from the Contributors

Coming to Maryland from Nebraska in 1975, Janet Cook taught speech communication and English at Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland until her retirement in 2001. During her 26 years there she earned the respect of colleagues both at Allegany College and Frostburg State University. She is remembered by her associates as a person of integrity and trustworthiness, a person of incredible thoughtfulness, and a person of steadfast Christian faith.

Janet earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. A professional educator for 35 years, she taught high school in the Norris Public School System in Firth, Nebraska; Irving Junior High School in Lincoln, Nebraska; and Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland.

Committed deeply to her profession, she was a devoted classroom teacher and advisor. She served on numerous committees at Allegany College and as president of its senate. She also served a term as president of the Maryland Communication Association. A strong believer in promoting the community, she was an energetic and resourceful member of the Cumberland Bicentennial Committee and held the position of president of the Cumberland Washington Street Association until her death. A lover of the arts, she regularly attended and supported the theatre at Frostburg State University with her husband, Gary, and shared in the joy of the design and construction of the Performing Arts Center. She had a profound interest in the life and work of Nebraska writer, Willa Cather, and sought continuously to enrich her understanding of this prominent literary figure whose birth house and childhood house both still stand near Winchester, Va.

Janet Cook died on August 30, 2005, after a valiant two-year battle with cancer. She is buried in a family plot in Shelby Cemetery in Shelby, Iowa.