Funeral arrangements have been made for Bruce N. Cook, a prominent Belleville attorney and former power broker in Democratic Party politics, who died Thursday at a St. Louis hospital.
The 84-year-old practiced law for more than 55 years, starting with criminal cases and later representing plaintiffs in personal-injury lawsuits. He was still working in recent weeks, according to his son, Bruce R. Cook, an attorney who practiced alongside him for 28 years.
In the legal community, they’re known simply as “Bruce N.” and “Bruce R.”
“He was a great guy,” said the son, noting that his father loved to joke and laugh, prompting one newspaper to describe him as a “court jester.” “He almost made it to 85, and he had a heck of a run.”
Cook’s influence can be illustrated by one of his son’s memories from childhood. He answered the phone in the family’s West Belleville home during the presidential primary season of 1980 and heard the voice of President Jimmy Carter, asking to speak to his father.