Merrill Alonzo Cook

Merrill Alonzo Cook, proud husband, father, entrepreneur, and one of Utah’s most distinctive and independent public servants, passed away peacefully in Salt Lake City on March 9, 2026, at the age of 79. Born on May 6, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the fourth child of Dr. Melvin Alonzo Cook and Wanda Garfield Cook. Raised near East High in Salt Lake City, Merrill developed early passions for baseball, debate, and politics. He graduated from East High School in 1964, served in the England London Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Utah in 1969. While in college, he met Camille Sanders, who became the love of his life. They married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple and moved to Boston, where Merrill received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1972.

Merrill began his career as a management consultant with Arthur D. Little Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He and Camille welcomed their first two children before returning to Salt Lake City in 1973. There, he co-founded the Cook Slurry Company, a mining explosives manufacturer, with his father, serving as president and CEO. He cherished the opportunity to work closely with his dad, a noted professor of metallurgy and physical chemistry, inventor, and recipient of the Nitro Nobel Gold Medal.

In public life, Merrill was known for his independence and self-funded campaigns. After several unsuccessful runs, he was elected in 1996 to represent Utah’s Second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving until 2001. He served on the House Banking Committee, the Space Science Subcommittee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he played a key role in securing funding for the Salt Lake Olympic Games. Merrill immersed himself in the details of financial policy, relished legislative debate, and brought intellectual curiosity and candor to every discussion. A maverick at heart, he spoke his mind freely, yet beneath his directness lay a man of deep feeling and quiet generosity who helped many without seeking recognition.

Above all, Merrill was devoted to his family. He and Camille, an accomplished opera singer, raised five children in a home filled with music, lively discussion, and respect for learning. He found his most profound purpose in caring for Camille during her decade-long battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, remaining her constant companion until her peaceful passing in 2015. Those years, he often said, were the best of his life. Merrill never stopped grieving her and found his greatest comfort in the close company of family after her death. He is survived by his five children and their families.