Springboro drowning victim remembered for putting others first

Visitation and service

SPRINGBORO — If you had only one word to describe Robert Cook, it’s giving, said his longtime friend, neighbor and colleague Matt Mitchell.

“If you needed anything, he was always the first guy to call,” Mitchell said. “He’d do anything for anyone.”

Tragically, Cook, 43, died while on a family vacation on Friday, July 24, while helping to save his and another friend’s children from a powerful riptide off the coast of Hatteras Village on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Cook’s friend and all three children made it to safety. However, Cook was found by rescuers some 75 yards offshore. North Carolina officials ruled his death a drowning.

Mitchell, who has lived next door to Cook in Springboro and worked with him at LexisNexis, said Cook’s wife, Joyce, a teacher at Springboro High School, and the couple’s three children, “are coping through the support of a lot of really good people.”

“It is such a shock,” Mitchell said. “We’re all walking around through each day wondering what can we do next to help his family. We all want to be there for them and help them as much as possible.”

Cook’s legacy, Mitchell said, is his commitment to the community and children.

Cook gave a great deal of time volunteering for various community services, Mitchell said. The friends coached together on several sports teams through the years.

“He was very involved in his kids’ lives and always put his family first,” Mitchell said. “He was such a role model for me, because not only was he very active in the community and in coaching, but he also made it very clear to the kids that education trumps everything else. And that was really important to him and Joyce.”

Mitchell said he’s received hundreds of E-mails from people all over the Miami Valley who knew Cook, wanting to help in any way possible.

To honor Cook and his legacy, Mitchell and others are planning an all-day multi-sports day on Aug. 9 at Springboro High School. They’ll have more event details as they become available, he said.

“We’re hoping to have a great turnout from people all over whose lives were touched by Bob,” Mitchell said. “We want to honor Bob. He was a tremendous person and will be very, very missed by everyone.”