Dr. Alfred Joseph Cooke, Jr.

Dr. Alfred Joseph Cooke, Jr., 86, of Lancaster, died peacefully at The Glen at Willow Valley on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. His wife of 63 years, Marcia Murray Cooke, was with him when he passed. Born in Philadelphia, Al was the son of the late Alfred J. Cooke, Sr., a chemist, and Helen Cunningham, a passionate artist and painter. He grew up a Roman Catholic in northwest Philadelphia with his younger brother Stephen Robert Cooke and, for much of his youth, his maternal grandmother, Mary Cunningham of County Cork, Ireland. Al graduated from the William Penn Charter School before attending Notre Dame University, where he graduated Cum Laude. He went on to Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, earning the Orthopedics prize at graduation (an award that his son, Christopher, would also win several decades later). Al served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War treating wounded servicemen, whose sacrifice he credited for giving him the experience to best serve patients throughout his career. Returning to civilian life, he worked with Dr. William Phippen in Lancaster before starting Orthopedics Associates of Lancaster with his lifelong friend, Dr. Jack Shertzer. Al was a member of the Lancaster Country Club, Hamilton Club, and the Dataw Island Club on Dataw Island, South Carolina. An avid outdoorsman and an excellent shot, Al was also a member of the Blooming Grove Hunting and Fishing Club in Hawley, PA, where he loved to vacation in the summer with his family. Al loved reading and Notre Dame Football. Throughout his life, he also loved tinkering on cars and, in unguarded moments, would admit that auto mechanics nearly captured his heart for a career. His thousands of patients and the City of Lancaster were certainly blessed by his ultimate choice to become a surgeon. He is survived by his wife, Marcia Murray Cooke, his daughter Hilary N. Cooke; his sons Alfred J. Cooke III (Mary Ann and 3 sons, Alfred, Benjamin. and Alexander) of Lancaster; Anthony M. Cooke (Susan and 4 children, Lily, Austin, Thomas and Mary) of Round Hill, VA; and Christopher C. Cooke, MD (Meredith and 3 children, Wren, Wyatt and Willow) of Lancaster. Al was preceded in death by his younger brother Stephen R. Cooke of Honeoye Falls, NY, but survived by Stephen’s wife, Jeanine, and nephew Stephen. Friends and family are invited to Al’s Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at St. Leo The Great Catholic Church, 2427 Marietta Ave., Lancaster PA 17601 at 11 a.m. with Rev. Peter L. Hahn officiating. A Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Interment will be held at St. Josephs New Roman Catholic Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made in Al’s name to VisionCorps 244 North Queen St, Lancaster, PA 17603 or Humane League of Lancaster County 2195 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602.