February 23, 1938 �" September 30, 2012
Donald Joseph Cook Jr. was born February 23, 1938 in Manhattan, New York. He graduated from Bishop Loughlin High School, NY, and received a BA degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1960. He became Trans World Airways' youngest pilot in 1965 and was written up in virtually every newspaper and magazine in the world when his plane was hijacked out of Los Angeles on October 31, 1969. After he was able to get the passengers off at a stop in Bangor, Maine, Captain Cook landed the plane in Rome, Italy.
He moved to San Francisco in 1975. Mr. Cook was well known as an engaging raconteur with a biting wit and a wonderful sense of humor. He was a very generous man who supported many charities and causes through the years. Mr. Cook passed away after a long and valiant battle with cancer on September 30, 2012 in San Francisco. He is survived by his younger brother, George Malcolm Cook of New York City, and his longtime companions Robert Lanning (a.k.a. Gladys Bumps) of 46 years and Keith Osborne of 41 years. He will be greatly missed by friends and acquaintances around the world.