Jerry “Brent” Cook passed away at the age of 56 on Tuesday, 5/26/2020 at Garden Terrace of Overland Park following a long illness.  A memorial service is planned for a later date.

Brent graduated from Butler, Missouri, High School in 1982.  He then attended the University of Missouri where, in 1986, he graduated summa cum laude and became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.  He continued his education at MU and earned a Master’s Degree in Sociology/Criminology in 1990. 

Following college, Brent moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he worked as a probation and parole officer with the State of Missouri.   It was there that he met his co-worker and future wife Gina Sreaves.   They married on July 24, 1993.   In 1995 the couple moved to Lees Summit, Missouri, where their daughter, Tess, was born in 2002.

Brent enjoyed a long career in the field of Criminal Justice, eventually retiring from his employment with the US District Court of Western Missouri in 2016.

Brent loved watching sports, listening to his vast music collection, and reading the Wall Street Journal.  Most of all he loved his family; he especially enjoyed time with his daughter and helping her with sports.  He was deeply loyal to his friends and family and devoted to ensuring his family’s safety and welfare.   Brent was one others often looked to for advice, both personally and professionally.   He found humor in everyday situations and wasn’t opposed to pulling a prank on another for a laugh.

Brent was preceded in death by his father Jerry L. Cook; paternal grandparents Grant and Betty Cook; and maternal grandparents Farroll “Hap” and Helen Clark.  Survivors include wife Gina and daughter Tess Cook of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; mother Gayle Cook of Butler, Missouri; brother Brian (Dana) Cook of Leawood, Kansas, and children Brenna (Austen) McGuire and Bailey; brother Pirapon (Fon) Namatra of Bangkok, Thailand, and children Yim, Kiki, Itt, and Toh; sister Lilana Peck of Olathe, Kansas, and her children Ava and Ander; brother-in-law Jess (Kathy) Sreaves of Fairview, Missouri, and child Lindsay; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The family would like to thank Brent’s many friends for their generous support and kindness throughout his illness.  We would also like to thank the staff at Garden Terrace for the compassionate care he received while residing there.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Heart of America Alzheimer’s Association.