Doris Marie "Gabby" (Bowman) Cook

Doris Marie Cook (affectionately known as Gabby), age 87, of Orwell, died peacefully in her home Tuesday, March 19, 2019.

Doris was born February, 19, 1932 in Evansville, Indiana and was the second child of John Henry and Catherine (White) Bowman. Doris and her family moved to Middlefield when she was a child and she resided her entire life in Middlefield and Orwell, where she has lived for 30 years.

Doris was best known as the Ashtabula south county news editor and could be spotted with her camera at just about any event in the Grand Valley and/or Middlefield area. Doris began her illustrious news reporting career in 1959 as the Geauga Times Leader’s District Correspondent for Middlefield. It was to be a temporary job for about six months. Over the past five decades she covered it all including murder trials, the Reagan-Carter presidential debate in Cleveland, she also met President George H. W. Bush and was the only female reporter who toured on a bus with Prince Charles of England on his visit to Northeast Ohio. Earlier this month, Doris retired as the Senior Editor from the Gazette Newspapers. She had served as editor for 20+ years.

Doris met her husband of 61 years, Bruce Cook, while he was visiting his grandparents in Middlefield while on leave from Japan at the end of WWII. The couple were married at Middlefield United Methodist Church on July 22, 1951. They were blessed with three children: Scott (Leigh Ann), of Painesville; Laura Walters (Jeff), of Munson; and Warren of Orwell. They were the proud grandparents of nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren who will sadly miss her. Doris is also survived by her loving sister Judy Bettis (Ed) of Skaneateles, NY and many nieces and nephews who adored her.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Bruce, her parents, and her sisters Beverly and Jackie.

Services for Doris will be at the Century Village Historic Church, 14653 East Park Street, Burton, where Doris served as Tour Education Director for five years. The family will receive visitors Friday, April 5 from 4:00-7:00 PM and Saturday, April 6 from 10:00 AM until Noon, at which time there will be a Memorial Service led by Pastor Laurie Krieg. A private interment will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the American Cancer Society or the Hospice of Western Reserve.

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