- Date Of Birth: June 27, 1940
- Date Of Death: April 5, 2012
- State: Idaho
Adena S. Cook
1940 ~ 2012
Adena S. Cook, 71 of Boise passed away April 5, 2012 at a local hospital with her family around her. Adena was born June 27, 1940 in Missoula, MT to Ward E and Louise P. Smith.
Adena spent her early life in Missoula and Livingston, Montana. As a teenager, she moved with her family to Brainerd, Minnesota where she graduated high school. She attended Hamline University in St. Paul Minnesota where she graduated with a BA in Political Science. It was there she met and married her husband, Jeff.
The young couple moved to Hartford Connecticut. They spent many weekends at the Cook family camp on Sebec Lake in Maine, using it a base camp to hike the remote Maine mountain trails.
In 1966, Jeff and Adena moved to St. Louis, Missouri where their family grew with the addition of their sons, Jeff Jr. and James. Building on a increasing interest in bluegrass music, she learned to play mandolin. She helped found the Missouri Area Bluegrass Committee, to promote preservation of the music. MABC put on festivals and shows, and still continues to do so.
In 1974, the family moved to Idaho Falls, ID where Adena provided love and comfort to her growing sons and Jeff. The family spent literally every spare minute camping and enjoying the Idaho outdoors, summer and winter. Adena was an avid hiker, fisherman and skier who involved her sons in the sports.
Adena was also an enthusiastic snowmobiler, riding thousands of miles each year in their favorite areas: Bone, Island Park, and Grey’s River in Wyoming. For many years, Adena and Jeff rode on vacations with S&W Adventure Riders in Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho.
Adena was a key champion in the battles to preserve recreational access, first in Idaho and then nationwide. Adena was a tireless advocate for recreational access in Idaho in the 70s and 80s. When the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), a national recreation advocacy group, was formed in 1987 Adena volunteered as the first Secretary of the organization. In 1989 she became the BRC’s first Public Lands Director, monitoring recreation access issues across the nation.
Adena quickly earned respect from backcountry recreation groups around the country who sought her guidance on their local access problems.
Shortly after she retired, Adena was inducted into the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2005, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns selected her to the Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Committee. The committee provided advice and recommendations on implementing the state petitions (Idaho’s and Colorado’s) for 2005 Inventoried Roadless Area Management Rule.
She was also a guest columnist for the Idaho Falls Post Register, writing many articles about land use issues in Idaho.
Due to Jeff’s declining health and to be closer to family, they moved from Idaho Falls to Boise in September 2010.
She is preceded in death by her father Ward E. Smith; mother Louise P. Smith, and her Husband Jeffrey F. Cook, Sr.
Adena is survived her sister Nikki Langworthy; her brother in law Hal; and by sons Jeff Jr. (Sue) of Boise and James (Noa) of Orchard Park, NY; grandchildren, Veronica, Laura, Ben and Rebecca
