Josie Cook, a former resident of Brookside in Mendham Township, NJ, died June 11, 2024, in State College, PA. She was 86 years old.
Josie and her husband, Stuart D. Cook, M.D. (“Stu”), who survives her, lived in Brookside for over 46 years, beginning in 1971. It was that year that Stu began his long career at the former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) that culminated with his elevation to the university presidency. Stuart, a neurologist, continued to see patients at UMDNJ until 2017.
While her husband practiced medicine, Josie volunteered at the Mendham Twp. Library and later became an employee of the Drew University library in Madison, NJ, where she served mostly as director of interlibrary loan beginning in 1979 until her retirement at the end of 2004. Josie returned to her volunteer work at the Mendham Twp. Library after her retirement. Josie parlayed her library work into a lifelong interest in reading, which she passed on to her children and grandchildren. Josie also enjoyed the theatre, an interest she developed as a teenager in the 1950s, as well as film. One of her favorite actors was Gregory Peck.
In addition to her library work, Josie was a member of the Parent Teachers Association (“PTA”). She and Stu were members of Temple B’nai Or in Morristown, NJ.
Born in Manhattan as Josepha Emdin on May 29, 1938, Josie was the daughter of Jacob L. Emdin and Anna G. Emdin (ne Golub), who predeceased her. She was a descendent of Rabbi Jacob Emden, a renowned 18th century Talmudic scholar. Josie was raised in Brooklyn, where she remained until 1947 when her parents bought a wholesale book business in Summit and moved to that community. As a young child, Josie developed an affinity for the Brooklyn Dodgers and their star infielder, Jackie Robinson. Josie’s like of the Dodgers was ironic because her father was a diehard fan of the cross-town rivals, the New York Giants. Prior to marriage, Josie would work summers at the family bookstore, which her parents owned from 1947 to 1973.
Josie went on to graduate from Summit High School in 1956. She then majored in English at the University of Vermont, where she earned a B.A. in 1960. She was also a member of alpha chi omega sorority.
In 1958, while at Vermont, Josie met Stu, a Boston native and a medical student at the same university. On June 26, 1960, while Stu was still in medical student, he and Josie were married in Milburn, NJ. From that point forward, Josie adopted her former last name of Emdin as her middle name. It was also during her marriage, that Josie adopted her husband’s favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, as her own.
After Stu earned his medical degree in 1962, the couple moved to Syracuse, N.Y., where Stu completed an internship at Upstate Medical University. While in Syracuse, Josie worked as a university librarian and gave birth to her first of three sons, Andrew (“Andy”).
The Cooks’ stay in Syracuse was brief. In 1963, after Stu was drafted, they moved to Newport, RI where they remained for two years while Stu served in the U.S. Navy. It was in Newport that Josie gave birth to the second Cook son, Peter.
In 1965, the Cook family moved to the Bronx, NY, where Stu completed a three-year residency program in neurology at the Albert Einstein Medical Center. During this time, Josie worked at the library of the same medical school.
In 1968, the Cooks moved again, this time to suburban White Plains, NY. While living in White Plains, Josie gave birth to her third son, Jonathan.
When Stu was offered a job at the burgeoning UMDNJ in Newark in 1971, the Cooks moved to Brookside, NJ. They remained there until Stu retired. Josie, in addition to her own work, was highly supportive of her husband’s career. She helped him entertain departmental colleagues and engage in other social events during his time, first as chair of the department of neurosciences starting in 1972 and then as president of UMDNJ. Indeed, she was at his side in 1999, when the Board of Trustees appointed Stu as the second president of UMDNJ, following a stint as interim president.
In 2018, the Cooks moved to State College in Pennsylvania, where Jonathan is a member of the faculty in the psychology department at the Pennsylvania State University.
Josie and Stu did a considerable amount of traveling during the Mendham years, in part because of Stu’s recurring sabbaticals. The Cook family stayed in London from 1977-1978. Then, in 1985, Josie, Stu and Jonathan resided in Lausanne, Switzerland, near Geneva. After the turn of the new century, Josie and Stu made numerous trips to Australia, mostly in the Sydney area. However, they also made it to Australia’s second city, Melbourne, and saw the Australian Open. Indeed, Josie had a long interest in tennis, first as a player and then as a fan and was privileged to attend the U.S. Open as well. She loved Roger Federer.
Josie and Stu also enjoyed traveling to the Caribbean and other locales. Because of Stu’s work, in fact, she was able to go to China in 1980 long before that country was open to foreign travelers. Other trips, besides cruises, included New Zealand, India, Singapore, and Indonesia. But most importantly, Josie loved spending time with her children and grandchildren and other family members as well as friends going back to her high school days.
In addition to Stu, of State College, survivors include Andy, an attorney in San Diego, and his wife, Marcia; Peter, a physician in Manchester, N.H, and his ex-wife Leslie Gould; and Jonathan; along with four grandchildren Jules, Lilah, Maisie, and Jennifer Cook. In addition to her parents, Josie was predeceased by her older sister, Judith, who passed away on May 17, 2024, and Judith’s husband, Harry, who passed away in 2017. She is fondly remembered by her nieces, nephews, other family members, and her many friends.
Josie was always an extraordinarily large presence in her children's lives, and she was a fierce advocate for their wellbeing and happiness. Her absence leaves a large void.
Josie was buried at Hilltop Cemetery in Mendham on June 17, 2024.
Posted online on June 25, 2024
Published in Daily Record
