Sallie Cook, a BJ correspondent who helped cover Wayne County, passed away Wednesday, August 8 in Wooster after a long illness. She was 76.

Sallie covered courts, police and government for the BJ.
 
Former BJ Metro Editor Tim Smith recalls:

“I hired Sally as a correspondent for the BJ in the 70s. She was an outstanding asset and did yeoman work. She’ll be missed. A great lady.”

Later, she was deeply involved in GeekWire, a Seattle-based national technology news site co-founded by her son, John Cook.

John Cook, Todd Bishop and Jonathan Sposato created GeekWire. GeekWire has a weekly radio show on Seattle’s KIRO-97.3 FM.

Son Dave Cook also works at GeekWire.

GeekWire civic innovation editor Monica Nickelsburg called Sallie “a powerful presence at GeekWire.”

Sallie’s widow is Roger Cook. They also have another son, Dan Cook.

Sallie was ran for Wooster City Council and losing narrowly in the general election. She worked with the League of Women Voters, served as a non-profit board member and canvassed and phone-banked for Democratic candidates including Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential election.

The Ohio Wesleyan graduate was born Sallie Dicke on Nov. 9, 1941 in Lima, Ohio.

Her father, Vernon Dicke, was a farmer in western Ohio and her mom, Anne Dicke, was a social worker. The family later moved to Findlay, Ohio, where Vernon bought an insurance company.

For the GeekWire article on Sally’s passing, go to https://www.geekwire.com/2018/sallie-cook-1941-2018-longtime-journalist-guiding-force-geekwire/