Gregory Conrad Cook was born October 22, 1966 in San Jose California to Stephen and Joan Cook.  He was the big brother to his one sibling, Stephene.  

Gregory grew up all over California, living in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Marysville, Yuba City, Loma Rica, and then in Medford, Oregon, all before joining the Military. As a child he didn’t live in a fantasy world but certainly had some fantastic visions.

Growing up, he loved mastering whatever environment he was in, whether surviving in the wilderness or the concrete jungle.  He made everything an adventure.  He also had a passion for perfecting everything he touched, from blowing up stuff under water, to the dirty martini, shaken until ice crystals began to form.   

Throughout his illustrious military career, Gregory served in numerous active duty operations, from Panama, to Iraq, and more.  He joined the Marines at 17, in 1984, where he became part of the 1st Recon Bn out of Camp Pendleton.  The Marines instilled in him the need for discipline.  Hoorah!  He left active duty in 1988 and joined the Army Reserves.  He served as a military policeman, a Russian linguist and an interrogator.  He joined the Army National Guard in 1996 and received his commission as a second lieutenant in Co B, 1-184 Infantry Bn.  He served the state of California as an aide de camp and as an international affairs officer for Ukraine and Nigeria.  He later served as the bilateral affairs officer in Ukraine.  Throughout his career he received numerous military awards and accolades.

Gregory earned a Bachelor of Arts with dual majors in Russian and Spanish studies from UCLA in 1996.   He also participated in ROTC there.  He earned a Master’s degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in 2000. 

He cherished so many people in his life and considered his family as friends and his friends as family.  His life was blessed for a short time with his precious son Rowan, and his loving wife Ananta.  Even his comrades commented that he was always willing to help others, even at his own expense.

This is our tribute to Gregory.  He is greatly missed and will be forever in our hearts.