'A force for Utah politics': Family, friends remember Merrill Cook at state Capitol

SALT LAKE CITY — Many gathered at the state Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday to celebrate the life of former congressman Merrill Cook.

The service, which was open to the public, included a musical tribute by Steven Sharp Nelson, a Cook family member and member of The Piano Guys.

"If someone said, 'One day, Mike Leavitt is going to stand at Merrill Cook's memorial service and speak in celebration of his life,' I suspect both Merrill and I would have raised an eyebrow," former Gov. Mike Leavitt, now president of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said.

"The truth is, Merrill Cook was my friend," Leavitt said.

Leavitt also spoke about what he called Cook's "remarkable devotion to serve his neighbors" and "to his wife as a husband," calling Cook "a force for Utah politics."

Cook, who died on March 9 at the age of 79, served in Utah's 2nd Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 1997 to 2001. The co-founder of Cook Slurry Company, he combined his entrepreneurial independence with civic service, often funding his own campaigns as he vied for office.

Cook was also instrumental in securing funding for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and immersed himself in the technical details of financial policy and legislative work by serving on multiple House committees.

Former Rep. Ben McAdams, who is running for Utah's 1st Congressional District as a Democrat in November, gave pre-recorded remarks at the service.

McAdams, who was part of Cook's campaign for Congress as a phone banker in the Utah Republican Party office — which he joked, as a Democrat, was the only time he campaigned for a Republican — could see Cook's ability to "draw people in."

"I know my father is mindful of these proceedings, and he is so pleased to see us all being all together today through him," David Cook, Merrill Cook's son, said in opening the service. "He never had a problem being the center of attention."

"Many people knew (Merrill Cook) as a businessman, as a candidate, as a congressman from Utah, and a man with strong opinions and a common drive," Brian Cook, Merrill Cook's oldest son, said. "I knew him in a different way. I knew him as my father."

Brian Cook added that despite his "complicated relationship" with his father, Merrill Cook's pride in his son's wife and daughters was one of the ways he saw something "warmer" in Merrill Cook.

"Merrill lived with conviction, with independence, with persistence and love for his family," McAdams said. "I'm grateful for his life, for his example and hope that we share through Jesus Christ that death is not the end."

Contributing: Joe R. Wirthlin Jr.

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