Gayle Cook

Gayle Cook (née Karch, March 1, 1934 – August 17, 2025) was an American businesswoman who in 1963 co-founded the Cook Group, a medical equipment manufacturing company, with her husband William Cook.^[1][2] In 2014, her net worth was estimated at US$5.8 billion.^[3]

Gayle Cook
Born	Gayle Karch (1934-03-01)March 1, 1934 Evansville, Indiana, U.S.
Died	August 17, 2025(2025-08-17) (aged 91)
Alma mater	Indiana University Bloomington
Occupations	Business executive preservationist
Spouse	William Cook ​ ​ (m. 1957; died 2011)​
Children	Carl

Early life and education

Gayle Karch^[4] was born on March 1, 1934, in Evansville, Indiana, the daughter of Arthur and Thelma Karch.^[5] She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Indiana University Bloomington in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in fine arts.^[6]

Career

In 1963, she and her husband William Cook co-founded the Cook Group, a medical equipment manufacturer.^[7][8] As of 2013^[update], she still served on the company's board of directors.^[2]

According to Forbes, she had a net worth of $5.8 billion in 2014,^[7] up from $5.2 billion in 2013, placing her at #85 on the Forbes 400 for the year.^[2]

Philanthropy

Cook made charitable contributions to her alma mater, Indiana University, and was on the board of the Indiana University Foundation.^[6] She received the Gertrude Rich Award in 1983 and an honorary doctorate in 1993, both from Indiana University.^[6]

She and her husband funded the restoration of many historic buildings, mainly in southern Indiana, including 40 that appear on the National Register of Historic Places.^[4] She was a co-founder of the Monroe County Historical Society Museum, a member of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, and a landmark member of The Nature Conservancy.^[6]

Personal life and death

Gayle Cook was married to William Cook from 1957 until his death in 2011.^[9] Their son, Carl Cook, succeeded William as CEO upon the latter's death.^[10] She also has a granddaughter.^[4] She co-authored two books on local landmarks, A Guide to Southern Indiana (1972, with William Cook) and Monroe County in Focus (1990, with Diana Hawes and Will Counts).^[6]

In March 1989, Cook was kidnapped and held for ransom by a failing investment broker named Arthur Curry. He was apprehended 26 hours later.^[11]

Cook died on August 17, 2025, at the age of 91.^[12]

Bibliography

• A Guide to Southern Indiana (with William Cook, Owen Litho Service, 1972).
• Monroe County in Focus: Portrait of an Indiana County (with Diana Hawes and Will Counts, Discovery Press, 1990).