Margaret Celeste Cook

Margaret Celeste Cook, 82, of Yorktown died on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, after a long illness. Born in New York, she came to live in Virginia with her family in 1948, making a home in Yorktown. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Sweet Brian College and master’s at the College of William and Mary, she began her career as an archivist at the Connecticut Historical Society and the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe. The experience she gained there served her well when she joined the staff at the Swem Library at William and Mary in 1966 as the curator of manuscripts and rare books. Devoting 36 years to serving as curator, Margaret was responsible for the upkeep and documentation of 30,000 rare books and more than a million manuscripts and maps. Her background in history made her a valued partner to the Tyler Department of History, assisting many history students with research assignments and dissertations. Even after retiring, she continued to serve Swem by volunteering and continuing her research in local history.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Rodney and Jeanie Cook and is survived by her sister, Janet Cook Stephens and husband David, her cousin, John Hartwiger, all of Yorktown, niece Jean Donnelly and nephew Garrett Stephens and four grandnephews.
A graveside service will be held at 11:30 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2020 in Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery, Yorktown, Va.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the York County Food Closet or the Grace Church Legacy Circle. Arrangements by Amory Funeral Home, Grafton, Va.