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 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]
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]
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]
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]
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