La Juan Cook

La Juan Price Cook left this life on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, at University Medical Center in El Paso, TX, to join her beloved husband, Marion Daniel "Dan" Cook, Jr., who passed in Feb, 2001. She sustained a catastrophic brain injury, was rushed to the trauma center and passed peacefully in the company of dear family friend Robert "Bob" Barron, knowing he was with her. La Juan's parents were Edward Clay and Rude Pruitt Price of Carlsbad. She had two elder sisters, Doris, who married Leon Hodges and Sylvia, who married Dale Daniell. Her nieces and nephews are Karen Hodges of Florida, Kay Hodges Cruz and Ed Hodges of both in Texas, and Charles "Bucko" Daniell and Larry "Duke" Daniell both of New Mexico, all surviving, as well as great-nieces and nephews scattered nationwide. La Juan and Dan lived in the Valley after meeting in college and marrying in May, 1961. La Juan had been a graduate of Carlsbad High School in 1950, and then was conferred with a Bachelor's of Business Administration in 1956 from New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts-renamed in 1960 as NMSU. At that time, she was already working for the University where she held several positions for short times, always being promoted to greater challenges. She culminated her career with many years as Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President's Office, assisting three Vice Presidents in her thirty-year tenure: Dr. O'Donnell, Dr. Roush and Dr. Conroy. Her main task, she would say, "was to keep the VPs on the straight and narrow." La Juan and Dan, who was an Associate Professor with the Agricultural Institute at NMSU, devoted their entire career to the education of young people. Both mentored and assisted several who achieved degrees, thanks to their encouragement and guidance. They gathered around them a coterie of young men and women who have been blessed to be welcomed at "Rancho Maana," as their homestead in the North Valley was called. La Juan joined her husband, and often Bob Barron, in adventures ranging the country in their motor home. Active members of New Mexico Vintage Iron, a club for people who have a passion for tractors, engines and steam engines, they were off on many an exciting adventure to exotic locales in the Southwest such as Pawnee, OK, Tucson, AZ or Fredericksburg, TX, attending exhibits and shows or following a lead on an old tractor engine that needed their love. One such adventure took them to Rollag, MN, where Dan and Bob obtained their Minnesota Steam Engineer's licenses. Known to say, "I don't do tractors," La Juan loved working with other "tractor ladies" in meal preparation and the social aspects of the club. An avid reader, she would often find interesting side trips for them to enjoy such as Lady Bird Johnson's Wild Flower Center or touring through the Bad Lands, to see Mount Rushmore and to obtain some Black Hills gold. Dan would often say she was the Queen of the Road, his "La Juan in a Million." Memorial Service will be held at Getz Funeral Home, on Monday, Jan. 18 th at 10:30 a.m. located at 1410 E. Bowman Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88001. After the service, all are invited to join the family at a reception at the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Church of Las Cruces at 106 S. Miranda Street. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that contributions be made "In the Memory of La Juan Cook" payable to The NMSU Foundation, Inc., P. O. Box 3590, Las Cruces, NM 88003 with mention of "The La Juan Price Cook and Marion D. Cook, Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund. Or alternately, to Mesilla Valley Hospice, 299 E. Montana, Las Cruces, NM 88005 or call (575) 523-5775. La Juan was well loved and will always be remembered for her wisdom and encouragement by her family and numerous friends.