Dorothy B. Cook

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Dorothy Behrens Cook, former Delhi resident and wife of the late New York state Senator Charles D. Cook, died Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, after a long illness. She was 88.

Born in Brooklyn on Aug. 9, 1933 to Johann and Dora (Borchers) Behrens, the family briefly moved to Germany before returning to the United States and resided in Franklin Square. Cook’s parents had immigrated separately to the United States from Germany in the late 1920s.

Cook graduated from Sewanhaka High School and the State University of New York at Oneonta. She met Charles, who attended neighboring Hartwick College, while the two were undergraduates. They married in 1957 and raised three children: Linda (Fillius) and John, who today both reside with their families in Northern Virginia, and Jeffrey, who lives in Huntington Beach, Calif.

The couple lived in Delhi for most of their lives. In her early career, Cook was a teacher in Walton, and later co-founded Christian Playschool in 1968, located at what would later become the United Ministry of Delhi church. She led the preschool until her retirement in 1992. She also worked for many years at the Cannon Free Library.

She enjoyed the company of dogs throughout her life, along with tending to her gardens and houseplants. Most of all, she loved teaching and caring for children.

During their life together, Cook and her husband – who was first elected to the legislature in 1972 and served until 1999, ultimately representing one-sixth of all the counties in New York state – traveled extensively within the U.S. as well as in Asia and Europe. The two were active members of the United Ministry of Delhi, which is affiliated with both the Presbyterian Church USA and The United Methodist Church, where she served on various committees and taught Sunday School for many years.

After her husband passed away in 2001, Cook moved to Springfield, Va. in 2004 to be closer to family. She is survived by her children and seven grandchildren; her sister, Elenore Brookins of Walton; and her longtime companion, Richard Schmidt, now living in Valrico, Fla.

She was predeceased by two children, Edward and David.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, plans for a memorial service have been delayed until later in the spring. Cook will be interred in Delhi, next to her husband, Charles.

Gifts in her memory may be made to the United Ministry of Delhi.