Charlotte “Anne” Samuels Cook

Charlotte “Anne” Samuels Cook, 88, passed away peacefully at home on June 8, 2025, surrounded by her family. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, Anne lived a full and generous life marked by kindness, dedication, and unwavering faith.

Born on February 17, 1937, in the Panama Canal Zone, Anne was a woman of intellect and purpose. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, in 1959. Her early career included work as a secretary for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and later with the Dental Branch of the NIH. After marrying the love of her life, Dr. Ronald Cook, on June 4, 1960, she chose to focus on raising their family, becoming a dedicated homemaker and also serving as the bookkeeper for her husband’s dental practice.

Anne was a charter member and deacon at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Virginia, where she shared her gifts through music and teaching, singing in the choir and leading Sunday school. She volunteered as a Girl Scout leader and for many years at Cardinal Forest Elementary School, even after her children had moved on—demonstrating her deep love for children and her strong commitment to community.

She was also well known in the Springfield community for her boundless energy and infectious enthusiasm—coordinating water aerobics at the Springfield Golf and Country Club for 17 years and embracing life as an exercise enthusiast and avid bowler.

To know Anne was to know compassion, warmth, and encouragement. She was a steadfast friend, always ready with a smile and a kind word, and had a special way of making everyone feel seen and valued.

Anne is survived by her beloved husband of 65 years, Dr. Ronald Cook; her three children, Karen Cook Chelena (John), Kelly Cook Dunn (Duane), and Chris Cook (Krista Kurre Cook); her cherished grandchildren, Danielle and Jake Chelena, Joshua and Abigail Dunn, and Lauren, Haleigh, and Logan Cook; and her treasured great-grandchildren, JJ and Wyatt Chelena.

She joins in eternal rest her loving parents, her sister Sue, and her identical twin sister Joan—whose bond she cherished deeply.

A memorial service will be held on June 23, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 8336 Carrleigh Parkway, Springfield, VA 22152.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.