1 memorial tree was planted in memory of Leon "Lee" Cook.
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Leon "Lee" Cook
Leon “Lee” Cook (Waase Waagosh - “Shining Fox”) was born in 1939 in Red Lake, MN on the Red Lake Indian Reservation to proud parents, Rose and Frederick Cook. After attending St. Mary’s Mission School, Lee attended and was the first Red Laker to graduate from both St. John’s Preparatory School (1957) and St. John’s University (1961). Lee loved being a “Johnnie” and St. John’s became his second home. In 1966, Lee was the first Minnesota Ojibwe to graduate from the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work, obtaining his master’s degree. Lee’s professional life brought him to Washington DC, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and every corner of Minnesota, including Minneapolis where he raised three kids. Lee’s career was focused on the advancement of tribes, with a focus on Indian education. Highlights from his career include his election as President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in 1971, at the age of 31 – the youngest ever elected to this position. His service at NCAI was during a transformational and historic era and his leadership helped lay the foundations upon which NCAI still stands today. Prior to this he served in the Nixon Administration as the Director of Economic Development at the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs, helping usher in a new era of self-determination for tribes throughout Indian country. Subsequently, he was elected to the Red Lake Tribal Council in the early 1970’s as the Red Lake District Representative. At the time of his election, he was a resident of Minneapolis and was the first, and remains the only, tribal member to be elected from off the reservation. Lee worked in anti-poverty programs in Minnesota and as a Senior Field Coordinator for the Department of Commerce. His career also includes service as the Director of Indian Education for the Minneapolis Public Schools, the Assistant to the President for Diversity at Augsburg College, and as the Commissioner for Health & Human Services at the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Lee was also the first Director of the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) at Bemidji State University, home to one of the largest Native American student populations in the United States. Lee was instrumental in making the AIRC a reality, providing Native students with a center for support and mentorship. Lee also played a key role in the development of the Red Lake Nation Tribal College, serving in an advisory role for many years. An active member of Minneapolis’ urban Indian community, Lee was also instrumental in the development of the Minneapolis American Indian Center. A lifelong and progressive Democrat, Lee was also proud to have been one of the Party’s candidates considered to serve as the Vice-Presidential nominee during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Lee was also appointed to many Boards, his voice a valued resource for those in and out of Indian country. These included the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, TPT, the United Way, YMCA, Dunwoody College, St. John’s Alumni Association, the MN Indian Education Association, the National Indian Education Association, and the Met Council. Never overshadowed by work, Lee’s first love was always family and friends. He loved his lifelong friends and classmates and continued to make and keep friends throughout his life. Whether he met folks on the golf course or over a martini, Lee never met a soul he couldn’t talk to… and Lee could talk. And talk. Overcoming a stutter at a young age, Lee was a clever wordsmith who engaged any audience in front of him. Lee enjoyed golf and spent a lot of time on the course, he loved good cars and a stiff drink, he never turned down a good steak, loved to travel and made it to 49 states. Lee liked dinners with friends, BBQing, a good debate, politics, family holidays, reading the paper, a good sense of humor and a good laugh, especially at one of his own jokes. Lee is survived by a heart-broken family including his beloved wife, Patricia (Patty), children, Kristin, Thomas (Ann), & Trisha; grandchildren Zoey, Estelle, Theodore, William, & Oliver. Others include special greats Ninde and Sophia; Michael Michaud, Staci Birt and first wife, Dana Cook. Lee also leaves behind dozens of cousins, nieces and nephews, grands, and many other relatives and friends who are really going to miss our big guy! Lee was preceded in death by his parents Rose and Frederick Cook and his beloved sister, Patricia. Casket Bearers will be Theo Hanson, William Hanson, Oliver Hanson, Jacob Hopperstad, Michael Michaud, and Toni Rudolph. Honorary casket bearers will be Rocky Cook, Nickel Cook, Tig Pemberton, John Poupart, Mark Macarro, Eddie Rudolph, Frank Michaud, Jimmy Michaud, Darrell Seki, Sr., and Steve White. A wake will begin at 5:00 p.m., Monday, October 18, 2021, at the Red Lake Community Center in Red Lake, MN and will continue until the time of the service. Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 19, 2021, at the Red Lake Community Center in Red Lake, MN. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Mission Catholic Cemetery in Red Lake, MN under the direction of the Cease Family Funeral Home in Bemidji, MN. “Live each day like it’s the only one you’ve got.” - a favorite quote from Lee.July 30, 1939 - October 13, 202107/30/193910/13/2021
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A candle was posted for Leon "Lee" Cook.
A candle was posted for Leon "Lee" Cook.
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