Alan Cook

Obituary

Kind, gentle, and quietly determined, Alan Cook approached life with the mind of an engineer and the heart of an innovator and teacher. His curiosity about how things worked, and how they could be improved, remained a defining characteristic throughout his life.

Alan Bramwell Cook, 85, a longtime resident of Port Elgin and later of the Southampton Care Centre, passed away in hospital on August 1, 2026, after a brief illness.

Born on November 7, 1940, at The Salvation Army Grace Maternity Home in Christchurch, New Zealand, Alan was the third child of Dr. Alfred Bramwell (“Bram”) Cook and Dorothy Frances Cook (née Money). Three months later, the family moved to India, where his parents served as Salvation Army missionaries. Bram, a physician and medical missionary, became a significant figure in the Salvation Army of Australia and New Zealand, while Dorothy, a trained teacher who later worked in hospitals, raised their five children with love, faith, and dedication.

Growing up in India gave Alan experiences few children could claim. Beginning in 1946, he attended Breeks Memorial School in Ootacamund, India, where boarding school fostered independence and resilience. Family stories from those years included a 1949 hunting expedition hosted by the Maharajah of Vijayanagar, which resulted in a tiger skin trophy that held a place of honour in the family home. These early experiences gave Alan a spirit of adventure, an appreciation for different cultures, and an enduring curiosity.

In 1953, Alan returned to New Zealand and attended Rongotai College in Wellington, where he completed his secondary schooling. While there, he excelled in athletics and proudly represented the school on the boys’ soccer team in 1956 and 1957. He also excelled academically, graduating in 1957 as Head Scholar and recipient of the Elliott Martin Christie Memorial Prize in Science. Despite his sporting and academic accomplishments, Alan always considered himself more of an outdoorsman than a sportsman, preferring experiences that combined exploration, learning, and adventure.

Following graduation, Alan had a studentship with the New Zealand Electricity Department (NZED) to study for an engineering degree.  Under this program he attended the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, earning a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) in 1962 and a Master of Engineering (Electrical) in 1964.  Engineering was more than a profession for Alan; it was a way of thinking. Whether tackling a technical challenge, repairing equipment, or improving a process, he approached every problem with patience, logic, and determination.

Through the NZED program Alan was offed an opportunity from the Associated Electrical Industries to work on nuclear power stations in the UK for two years, which brought him to England.  While there Alan met Kathleen Ada-Juliette Barnes. The two quickly formed a connection that became the foundation of 61 years of marriage, partnership, and love. They were married on July 24, 1965, in Hastings, England.

Their life together began with adventure. Shortly after their wedding, Alan and Kathy toured England in campers before embarking on an epic voyage from England through the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean, eventually arriving in New Zealand.  Upon their arrival in New Zealand, they moved to Whanagrei, where Alan worked for two years at the Marsden Point Thermal Power Station.  During this time Alan and Kathy welcomed their firstborn, Ashley, to their new family. There, Alan also took the opportunity to become familiar with geothermal power generation doing some work at the Wairakei Geothermal Power Station in the central part of New Zealand’s North Island.

Drawn by the opportunities presented by Canada’s growing nuclear industry, Alan, Kathy and Ashley immigrated to Canada, in May 1969, settling first in Deep River, Ontario. Alan began training at Chalk River Laboratories and completed his qualifications in the operation and management of CANDU nuclear reactors in 1974. In those years, both Justin and Brendan were born, completing the family. In 1971, he earned designation as a Chartered Engineer, reflecting his technical expertise and professional standing. Later in 1974, the family moved to Port Elgin, where Alan joined the Bruce Nuclear Power Development, later called Bruce Power.

Over the next five decades, Alan played a significant role in the development, operation, expansion, refurbishment, and modernization of one of the largest nuclear generating facilities in the world. He helped oversee the growth of the site from four reactors to eight and contributed to numerous projects critical to Ontario’s electrical infrastructure. Among his many accomplishments were helping design the original switchyard connecting Bruce Nuclear to Ontario’s power grid and later participating in its modernization decades later. He also played a key role in preparing the facility for the Y2K transition, helping ensure uninterrupted electricity generation at a time of widespread uncertainty.

Although he officially retired from Bruce Nuclear Power Development in 1993, he continued consulting and supporting engineering projects at the site for many years afterward. In fact, he remained professionally active until a stroke in early 2023 forced his retirement at the age of 81. Few people have the privilege of spending so many years doing work they genuinely loved.

Family was always at the centre Alan and Kathy’s lives; together they raised three sons: Ashley Garrett Cook, Justin Dudley Cook, and Brendan Stirling Cook. He took immense pride in each of them and found great joy in watching his family grow through the years.

Among his favourite roles was that of “Grandpa Alan.” He treasured every opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren: Emmanuelle, Dominique, Sebastien, Hudson, Ava, Bruce, Iza, and Liam, along with two additional grandchildren by marriage, Brianna and Jared, and two beloved great-grandchildren, Penelope and Theo, through Ashley and Jean’s extended family. Alan and Kathy created countless memories for their grandchildren, perhaps none more memorable than the special “grandchildren’s lair” they built in the attic of their home on Elgin Street. Later in life, many cherished family moments were shared in Florida, where Alan and Kathy welcomed family with the same warmth, generosity, and love that defined their home.

Outside of engineering, Alan’s two great passions were photography and sailing.

A lifelong photographer, Alan’s fascination with cameras began in his youth when he regularly converted his parents’ bathroom into a makeshift darkroom to develop film, much to the frustration of his family. What began as a hobby evolved into a second career through Kiwi Photography, which became well known throughout Port Elgin, Southampton, and the surrounding area. Through weddings, sporting events, community celebrations, family portraits, and countless passport photos, Alan captured the stories and milestones of the communities he loved.

If photography reflected Alan’s attention to detail, sailing reflected his spirit of adventure. He was an accomplished sailor, instructor, navigator, and racer who spent countless hours exploring the waters of Lake Huron. He proudly owned two sailboats, Cookabura and later Quintiki, and was deeply involved in local sailing and racing communities. Through Power Squadron courses, he taught countless aspiring sailors the principles of navigation and seamanship.

Most importantly, he passed that knowledge on to his family. Summer after summer, Alan, Kathy, and their sons explored the North Channel of Lake Huron, creating memories that would last a lifetime. Alan knew those waters exceptionally well and seemed able to navigate them in any conditions, always finding the perfect anchorage and the next great adventure.

Alan will be remembered for his kindness, gentle nature, and unwavering determination to make things better. Whether through engineering, photography, sailing, or community involvement, he sought not merely to participate in the world around him but to improve it. His greatest legacy lies in his contributions to Canada’s nuclear industry, particularly at Bruce Nuclear Power Development, and in the love of sailing, learning, and adventure that he instilled in his family.

Alan was predeceased by his parents, Bram and Dorothy Cook; his brother Bramwell; and his sister Jocelyn. He is lovingly remembered by his devoted wife, Kathy; his sons Ashley, Justin, and Brendan; his brothers Graham and Lindsay; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and by many relatives, friends, colleagues, sailors, and members of the communities whose lives he touched.

Though he is gone from our sight, the lessons he taught, the infrastructure he helped build, the photographs he captured, and the memories he created will endure.

“Fair winds and following seas, Alan.”

Funeral and memorial arrangements will be announced at a later date.