Gale Cook, a San Francisco journalist who unearthed corruption in state government, covered the yearlong Zebra killings trial, and inspired scores of young journalists as a beloved editor, died at his home in San Rafael on Tuesday. He was 92. "He was a true gentleman and journalist who got you to do your best work by inspiring confidence in you," said Jim Finefrock, a former Examiner journalist whom Mr. Cook hired. "He was the opposite of the stereotypical hard-boiled city editor. ... He didn't raise his voice, but you knew when he was not pleased."
Started in Seattle
Mr. Cook began his journalism career in Seattle after serving as a Navy lieutenant junior grade in the Pacific during World War II. He covered the labor movement along the West Coast during one of its most contentious eras, only to arrive at work one day to find a sign on the door.
"The sign said, Paper's closed", recalled Mr. Cook's son, Stephen; "So Dad moved to San Francisco."
Mr. Cook took a job at the Examiner, where he specialized in breaking news and crime.
In 1955, he covered the highly publicized trial of Burton Abbott, a UC Berkeley accounting student convicted of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl entirely on circumstantial evidence. The coverage inspired a public debate on the weight of "emotional testimony" versus facts decades before forensic evidence and DNA testing dominated such cases.
In 1976, Mr. Cook set the scene for a piece about the Zebra killings, a two-year killing spree that terrorized San Francisco and left 16 people dead and 10 wounded. He covered the trial, the longest in California history at the time.
"A pall of fear settled over the city," Mr. Cook wrote. "People stayed home after dark. Night business trailed off. The police were out in force."
During the trial, he met Art Agnos, who was then a community organizer who survived two gunshot wounds to the back from a Zebra attack. Mr. Cook continued to cover Agnos when Agnos became a state assemblyman and, later, San Francisco mayor.
"He gave the public stories that reflected a kind of professional journalistic expertise that one rarely sees in today's all-too-often sensationalistic media," Agnos said. "He had the courage and confidence to write a negative or a positive story that no one else would touch because of its delicate nature."
In one of Mr. Cook's most regarded pieces while he worked in Sacramento, he wrote a moving profile about Assemblyman Leadfoot, Lou Papan, a gregarious politician also known as "the Enforcer" for his ability to cajole votes in the Legislature.
Mr. Cook worked for the San Francisco Examiner for 39 years, first as a reporter, then as city editor, and finally as chief of the paper's Sacramento bureau.
Papan earned the Leadfoot moniker for his aptitude to collect highway speeding tickets during midnight runs from Sacramento to his home district on the Peninsula. In December 1980, Mr. Cook learned Papan was driving so fast - sometimes making the trek twice a day - because he wanted to spend time at the bedside of his 21-year-old son, John, who was dying from a rare circulatory system abnormality.
Commitment to truth
"No other reporter would touch that story for fear of being accused of writing a "puff piece"; about the fearsome politician," Agnos said. "And that was Gale at the core. ... The commitment to the truth of a story that would pat you on the back when you earned it or kick your butt when you deserved it."
Mr. Cook also had a timely sense of humor. In the early 1980s, he and Finefrock combed through campaign reports and public documents to produce "In Whose Interest?," a groundbreaking series that revealed how special interest groups donated cash to politicians immediately before crucial votes.
Before campaign spending information was easily accessible through computerized databases, the legwork was considerable, and when it came time to write the lead on a research-heavy piece, Mr. Cook strained for balance and submitted a 250-word first paragraph, Finefrock said.
"I said,Gale, do you think we can punch this up?"
Finefrock said Mr. Cook returned two minutes later with a new piece of paper and a crooked grin.
"He handed it to me and it read, "This stuff is un-f-ing-believable, and it's got to stop."
Mr. Cook was married 68 years to Helen B. Cook, who predeceased him by 17 months. In addition to his son Stephen, he is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Sterling of Marin County and Margli Matthews of England; brother, Hilary Cook of Woodfords (Alpine County), and sister, Corinne Cook of Turlock (Stanislaus County); seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Started in Seattle
Mr. Cook began his journalism career in Seattle after serving as a Navy lieutenant junior grade in the Pacific during World War II. He covered the labor movement along the West Coast during one of its most contentious eras, only to arrive at work one day to find a sign on the door.
"The sign said, Paper's closed", recalled Mr. Cook's son, Stephen; "So Dad moved to San Francisco."
Mr. Cook took a job at the Examiner, where he specialized in breaking news and crime.
In 1955, he covered the highly publicized trial of Burton Abbott, a UC Berkeley accounting student convicted of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl entirely on circumstantial evidence. The coverage inspired a public debate on the weight of "emotional testimony" versus facts decades before forensic evidence and DNA testing dominated such cases.
In 1976, Mr. Cook set the scene for a piece about the Zebra killings, a two-year killing spree that terrorized San Francisco and left 16 people dead and 10 wounded. He covered the trial, the longest in California history at the time.
"A pall of fear settled over the city," Mr. Cook wrote. "People stayed home after dark. Night business trailed off. The police were out in force."
During the trial, he met Art Agnos, who was then a community organizer who survived two gunshot wounds to the back from a Zebra attack. Mr. Cook continued to cover Agnos when Agnos became a state assemblyman and, later, San Francisco mayor.
"He gave the public stories that reflected a kind of professional journalistic expertise that one rarely sees in today's all-too-often sensationalistic media," Agnos said. "He had the courage and confidence to write a negative or a positive story that no one else would touch because of its delicate nature."
In one of Mr. Cook's most regarded pieces while he worked in Sacramento, he wrote a moving profile about Assemblyman Leadfoot, Lou Papan, a gregarious politician also known as "the Enforcer" for his ability to cajole votes in the Legislature.
Mr. Cook worked for the San Francisco Examiner for 39 years, first as a reporter, then as city editor, and finally as chief of the paper's Sacramento bureau.
Papan earned the Leadfoot moniker for his aptitude to collect highway speeding tickets during midnight runs from Sacramento to his home district on the Peninsula. In December 1980, Mr. Cook learned Papan was driving so fast - sometimes making the trek twice a day - because he wanted to spend time at the bedside of his 21-year-old son, John, who was dying from a rare circulatory system abnormality.
Commitment to truth
"No other reporter would touch that story for fear of being accused of writing a "puff piece"; about the fearsome politician," Agnos said. "And that was Gale at the core. ... The commitment to the truth of a story that would pat you on the back when you earned it or kick your butt when you deserved it."
Mr. Cook also had a timely sense of humor. In the early 1980s, he and Finefrock combed through campaign reports and public documents to produce "In Whose Interest?," a groundbreaking series that revealed how special interest groups donated cash to politicians immediately before crucial votes.
Before campaign spending information was easily accessible through computerized databases, the legwork was considerable, and when it came time to write the lead on a research-heavy piece, Mr. Cook strained for balance and submitted a 250-word first paragraph, Finefrock said.
"I said,Gale, do you think we can punch this up?"
Finefrock said Mr. Cook returned two minutes later with a new piece of paper and a crooked grin.
"He handed it to me and it read, "This stuff is un-f-ing-believable, and it's got to stop."
Mr. Cook was married 68 years to Helen B. Cook, who predeceased him by 17 months. In addition to his son Stephen, he is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Sterling of Marin County and Margli Matthews of England; brother, Hilary Cook of Woodfords (Alpine County), and sister, Corinne Cook of Turlock (Stanislaus County); seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Gale Cook, a San Francisco journalist who unearthed corruption in state government, covered the yearlong Zebra killings trial, and inspired scores of young journalists as a beloved editor, died at his home in San Rafael on Tuesday. He was 92. "He was a true gentleman and journalist who got you to do your best work by inspiring confidence in you," said Jim Finefrock, a former Examiner journalist whom Mr. Cook hired. "He was the opposite of the stereotypical hard-boiled city editor. ... He didn't raise his voice, but you knew when he was not pleased."
Started in Seattle
Mr. Cook began his journalism career in Seattle after serving as a Navy lieutenant junior grade in the Pacific during World War II. He covered the labor movement along the West Coast during one of its most contentious eras, only to arrive at work one day to find a sign on the door.
"The sign said, Paper's closed", recalled Mr. Cook's son, Stephen; "So Dad moved to San Francisco."
Mr. Cook took a job at the Examiner, where he specialized in breaking news and crime.
In 1955, he covered the highly publicized trial of Burton Abbott, a UC Berkeley accounting student convicted of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl entirely on circumstantial evidence. The coverage inspired a public debate on the weight of "emotional testimony" versus facts decades before forensic evidence and DNA testing dominated such cases.
In 1976, Mr. Cook set the scene for a piece about the Zebra killings, a two-year killing spree that terrorized San Francisco and left 16 people dead and 10 wounded. He covered the trial, the longest in California history at the time.
"A pall of fear settled over the city," Mr. Cook wrote. "People stayed home after dark. Night business trailed off. The police were out in force."
During the trial, he met Art Agnos, who was then a community organizer who survived two gunshot wounds to the back from a Zebra attack. Mr. Cook continued to cover Agnos when Agnos became a state assemblyman and, later, San Francisco mayor.
"He gave the public stories that reflected a kind of professional journalistic expertise that one rarely sees in today's all-too-often sensationalistic media," Agnos said. "He had the courage and confidence to write a negative or a positive story that no one else would touch because of its delicate nature."
In one of Mr. Cook's most regarded pieces while he worked in Sacramento, he wrote a moving profile about Assemblyman Leadfoot, Lou Papan, a gregarious politician also known as "the Enforcer" for his ability to cajole votes in the Legislature.
Mr. Cook worked for the San Francisco Examiner for 39 years, first as a reporter, then as city editor, and finally as chief of the paper's Sacramento bureau.
Papan earned the Leadfoot moniker for his aptitude to collect highway speeding tickets during midnight runs from Sacramento to his home district on the Peninsula. In December 1980, Mr. Cook learned Papan was driving so fast - sometimes making the trek twice a day - because he wanted to spend time at the bedside of his 21-year-old son, John, who was dying from a rare circulatory system abnormality.
Commitment to truth
"No other reporter would touch that story for fear of being accused of writing a "puff piece"; about the fearsome politician," Agnos said. "And that was Gale at the core. ... The commitment to the truth of a story that would pat you on the back when you earned it or kick your butt when you deserved it."
Mr. Cook also had a timely sense of humor. In the early 1980s, he and Finefrock combed through campaign reports and public documents to produce "In Whose Interest?," a groundbreaking series that revealed how special interest groups donated cash to politicians immediately before crucial votes.
Before campaign spending information was easily accessible through computerized databases, the legwork was considerable, and when it came time to write the lead on a research-heavy piece, Mr. Cook strained for balance and submitted a 250-word first paragraph, Finefrock said.
"I said,Gale, do you think we can punch this up?"
Finefrock said Mr. Cook returned two minutes later with a new piece of paper and a crooked grin.
"He handed it to me and it read, "This stuff is un-f-ing-believable, and it's got to stop."
Mr. Cook was married 68 years to Helen B. Cook, who predeceased him by 17 months. In addition to his son Stephen, he is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Sterling of Marin County and Margli Matthews of England; brother, Hilary Cook of Woodfords (Alpine County), and sister, Corinne Cook of Turlock (Stanislaus County); seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Started in Seattle
Mr. Cook began his journalism career in Seattle after serving as a Navy lieutenant junior grade in the Pacific during World War II. He covered the labor movement along the West Coast during one of its most contentious eras, only to arrive at work one day to find a sign on the door.
"The sign said, Paper's closed", recalled Mr. Cook's son, Stephen; "So Dad moved to San Francisco."
Mr. Cook took a job at the Examiner, where he specialized in breaking news and crime.
In 1955, he covered the highly publicized trial of Burton Abbott, a UC Berkeley accounting student convicted of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl entirely on circumstantial evidence. The coverage inspired a public debate on the weight of "emotional testimony" versus facts decades before forensic evidence and DNA testing dominated such cases.
In 1976, Mr. Cook set the scene for a piece about the Zebra killings, a two-year killing spree that terrorized San Francisco and left 16 people dead and 10 wounded. He covered the trial, the longest in California history at the time.
"A pall of fear settled over the city," Mr. Cook wrote. "People stayed home after dark. Night business trailed off. The police were out in force."
During the trial, he met Art Agnos, who was then a community organizer who survived two gunshot wounds to the back from a Zebra attack. Mr. Cook continued to cover Agnos when Agnos became a state assemblyman and, later, San Francisco mayor.
"He gave the public stories that reflected a kind of professional journalistic expertise that one rarely sees in today's all-too-often sensationalistic media," Agnos said. "He had the courage and confidence to write a negative or a positive story that no one else would touch because of its delicate nature."
In one of Mr. Cook's most regarded pieces while he worked in Sacramento, he wrote a moving profile about Assemblyman Leadfoot, Lou Papan, a gregarious politician also known as "the Enforcer" for his ability to cajole votes in the Legislature.
Mr. Cook worked for the San Francisco Examiner for 39 years, first as a reporter, then as city editor, and finally as chief of the paper's Sacramento bureau.
Papan earned the Leadfoot moniker for his aptitude to collect highway speeding tickets during midnight runs from Sacramento to his home district on the Peninsula. In December 1980, Mr. Cook learned Papan was driving so fast - sometimes making the trek twice a day - because he wanted to spend time at the bedside of his 21-year-old son, John, who was dying from a rare circulatory system abnormality.
Commitment to truth
"No other reporter would touch that story for fear of being accused of writing a "puff piece"; about the fearsome politician," Agnos said. "And that was Gale at the core. ... The commitment to the truth of a story that would pat you on the back when you earned it or kick your butt when you deserved it."
Mr. Cook also had a timely sense of humor. In the early 1980s, he and Finefrock combed through campaign reports and public documents to produce "In Whose Interest?," a groundbreaking series that revealed how special interest groups donated cash to politicians immediately before crucial votes.
Before campaign spending information was easily accessible through computerized databases, the legwork was considerable, and when it came time to write the lead on a research-heavy piece, Mr. Cook strained for balance and submitted a 250-word first paragraph, Finefrock said.
"I said,Gale, do you think we can punch this up?"
Finefrock said Mr. Cook returned two minutes later with a new piece of paper and a crooked grin.
"He handed it to me and it read, "This stuff is un-f-ing-believable, and it's got to stop."
Mr. Cook was married 68 years to Helen B. Cook, who predeceased him by 17 months. In addition to his son Stephen, he is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Sterling of Marin County and Margli Matthews of England; brother, Hilary Cook of Woodfords (Alpine County), and sister, Corinne Cook of Turlock (Stanislaus County); seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
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