John D. Cook

John Delmer Cook passed away peacefully at home on September 20, 2026, at the age of 78. He had hoped to be waterskiing in his 80th year, but pancreatic cancer had other plans. After six months of bravely facing the disease, John spent his final days at home, surrounded by family and friends.

John was born on November 4, 1947 and was among the first baby boomers to grow up roaming the streets of Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He was the eldest of Delmer and Eleanor (Starck) Cook’s four sons and grew up alongside his older sister, Mary.

A bit of a Renaissance man, John developed countless hobbies over the years and could become deeply absorbed in any new topic that caught his interest, including wine, music, psychology, and history. If you spent enough time with him, you would likely hear stories about living in Ecuador in the 1960s—or about the time he had a pet raccoon. He believed that stories gave things provenance and was a prolific writer well into his later years. He often considered starting his own Substack, though he never quite managed to narrow his interests enough to build a following.

John was also an accomplished pilot and a longtime member of Cloud 7, a premier flying club based at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Although John later remarked that he might have been well suited to following his family into carpentry or construction, given how much he enjoyed working with his hands, he built a successful career in medical sales. In 1982, he helped bring family-centered birthing rooms to St. Francis Hospital in Shakopee, Minnesota, reportedly the first hospital in the country to adopt this approach. He later founded an innovative medical-device company focused on minimally invasive surgery.

Under John’s leadership, Inlet Medical developed and patented the Carter-Thomason Needle Point Suture Passer, an instrument that enabled surgeons to close trocar wounds and perform gynecologic procedures through smaller incisions. His entrepreneurial vision helped move uterine suspension and other women’s health procedures away from traditional open surgery and toward shorter, outpatient treatments. Through this work, John made a lasting contribution to the field of minimally invasive medicine.

But despite his professional accomplishments, John was most proud of the family he built. On October 28, 1978, he married Pamela (Hinkle) Cook. Together, they raised three children: Christopher, Patrick, and Katie. John and Pam delighted in their grandchildren and also cherished the extended family welcomed into their lives through their children’s relationships. After his cancer diagnosis, John’s greatest regret was not having more years to celebrate with his grandchildren.

John is survived by his beloved wife, Pam; their children, Christopher (Jennifer Diercks), Patrick, and Katie (Thijs Verschuuren); his brothers, Peter (Billy Jo) and Paul; his grandchildren, Harmon, Henry, Hazel, Elin, Arjen, and Maisie; and his bonus grandchildren, Aiden, Maddie, and Lily, whom he loved as his own. He is also survived by Pam’s siblings, Daniel and Sharon, and their families, who shared many years and memories with John. He was preceded in death by his sister, Mary, and his brother, James.

A celebration of life will be held on October 11, 2026 at Charlie’s on Prior in Prior Lake, MN from 2:00-5:00