Lloyd V. Cook, 85, of Kerrville, TX, died Friday, March 16, 2007. The interment of his ashes will be held at Beggs Cemetery, June 2 at 2:00 at the gravesite of his father, Earnest Elmer Cook (Jan. 31, 1898-July 31, 1932).

Lloyd Vernon Cook was born Dec. 25, 1921 in Fitzhugh, OK to Earnest Elmer Cook and Leota Oliphant Cook. Lloyd was a talented professional artist, whose career began after graduation from Elgin (Okla.)High School and a move to Oklahoma City where he designed window displays and lettered signs for Veazey Drugs’ 22 stores.

After serving in the US Army during WWII as a Staff Sergeant on Okinawa, Japan, Lloyd moved to Amarillo, TX in 1946 where he was in partnership with Southwest Advertisers as their Advertising Art Director. Though he had no formal art training. Lloyd was innately gifted with the ability to draw and paint in many media, and did by hand what computers do today. In 1960 he opened his own design studio, creating award-winning advertising for many clients. In 1971 Lloyd was invited to teach advertising art at Texas State Technical Institute in Amarillo and retired in 1983 as their Art Director.

Lloyd Cook also enjoyed painting in watercolor and his paintings are in many private and public collections in the Panhandle area. Lloyd’s favorite painting themes were usually detailed portraits or old barns and farm and ranch scenes, which reminded him of his rural roots in Oklahoma, something solid and enduring.

Lloyd was first married to Margaret Barber of Hereford, TX from 1946 to 1969. Lloyd’s second marriage was to Audrey Harkreader of California in 1971. She died in 1993 in Amarillo, TX

Surviving family include Lloyd’s daughters, Kathleen Cook, Kerrville, TX and Sheila Cook-Dolciame, DeSoto, TX; Audrey’s daughters and their husbands, Mary and Horace DiMaggio, Sue and Wiley Cummings and Linda and Jim Bourchard; grandson SFC Christopher Kent (medic, Iraq) and his wife, SFC Christina Kent; great grandchildren Kolby Kent, Aiden Kent and Devon Kent. Brother, Rev. Omer Tittle and wife Koleta, Tonganoxie, KS; Sister, Betty Rogers and husband Jerry, Sentinel, OK, Pauline Cook, wife of his deceased brother, Glen Cook, Oklahoma City and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Arrangements are under the direction of the McClendon-Winters Funeral Home of Beggs. www.mcclendon-winters.com