Noal K. Cook

Noal K. Cook died peacefully at home on May 3, 2024, at the age of 88 from causes incident to age. 

On July 23, 1935, Noal was born in Layton, Utah, to Amos and Della Cook. He grew up on a farm in Syracuse, Utah where his love for animals began. His mom always said that if she could see the dog, she knew Noal was nearby! As a child, Noal remembered riding stick horses all over the farm. 

He attended schools in West Point and Layton and graduated from Davis High School in 1953. Shortly after, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia. While on his mission, he met a family whose daughter was pen-pals with a young woman named Betty Jo from Cedar City, Utah. The family showed Noal a picture of her and said that he should look her up when he got back to Utah. This connection sparked a beautiful love story, and after his mission, Noal and Betty Jo were married on December 28, 1960, in the St. George Temple.   

Noal graduated from Weber State University with a bachelor's degree in education and later earned a master’s degree. After teaching school in Grace, Idaho for one year, they returned to Davis County where Noal taught math, health, and physical education for 34 years at Central Davis Junior High in Layton, Utah. Early in his career, he also coached baseball and basketball. He was known for his no-nonsense approach and instilled a healthy dose of respect and fear in his students.

In 1967, he and Betty Jo built a home on a farm in West Point, Utah where they raised their boys and were active members of their church and community. They were blessed with four sons: Christopher, Carter, Curtis, and Cyle. 

Farming was in Noal’s blood, and he worked and ran the family farm until he retired. Noal took pride in having an immaculate garden. He was committed, hard-working, resilient, and loyal. He was known for his resourcefulness, often claiming he could fix anything with spit and baling wire! Noal had a deep-rooted affection for horses and enjoyed horseback riding with his friends. His favorite hobby for many years was chariot racing, and he trained and drove several championship teams. 

After retiring in 1997, Noal and Betty Jo moved to St. George, Utah, where they enjoyed exploring national parks and traveling the world. Noal loved John Wayne and watching old Westerns. He took pleasure in tinkering in the yard, collecting garden turtles, and surprising Betty Jo with a new car every couple of years. Noal and Betty Jo served four missions together. The highlight for Noal was being called to oversee the Clydesdale horses in the Nauvoo, Illinois Mission. He relished taking visitors on horse-drawn carriage rides, sharing stories about pioneers, and performing in plays with Betty Jo. The couple's devotion to their faith and each other was truly inspiring.

In March of 2021, Noal and Betty Jo moved back to Davis County to be closer to family. Noal truly enjoyed being a grandpa. The sparkle in his eyes got brighter when his grandkids and great grandkids were around. In his later years, his biggest smiles came while interacting with his great grandkids.

Noal is preceded in death by his loving wife Betty Jo, sons Christopher and Cyle, and brother Farrell. He is survived by two children: Carter (Julia), Curtis (Erica); six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and siblings: Shirley (Dennis) Leslie, Patsy (Richard) Craythorne, Douglas (Sue Ann) Cook, and Phillip (Cathy) Cook.

The family would like to thank the staff at Legacy House of Park Lane Assisted Living and Inspiration Hospice for their compassionate care and loving support. 

Funeral services will be held at 11 am on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at the LDS Chapel at 3488 West 300 North in West Point, Utah. A viewing will be held from 9:30-10:30am immediately prior to the funeral. 

An additional viewing will be held Friday, May 10, 2024, from 6-7 pm at Lindquist’s Roy Mortuary, 3333 West 5600 South in Roy, Utah. 

Interment, West Point City Cemetery. 

Services will be live-streamed and available the day of the services by scrolling to the bottom of Noal’s obituary page at: www.lindquistmortuary.com, where condolences may also be shared.