Henry “Hank” Kaltenbach Mook, age 95, passed away Sunday, August 22 at his home in Williamsburg with his wife and daughter by his side. Hank was born in 1926 in Yonkers, New York. The son of William Herbert Mook, Jr. and Mildred Kaltenbach Mook, he was the youngest of three boys. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island and later the Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts.

A Renaissance man in the sense of his vocations and hobbies, Hank was a restauranteur, postmaster and minister. He loved to have a good time and kick up his heels. A guest once commented during a family wedding at which Hank officiated, “That is the dancingest Baptist minister I have ever seen!”

Hank was an avid reader and a sportsman who enjoyed playing golf and tennis. He cherished his years in leadership with Boy Scouts of America and remained in touch with many of the scouts from Rhode Island. He excelled in water polo during his service with the Navy and loved swimming, fishing, crabbing and clamming in Charlestown, Rhode Island. He chose to eschew clam rakes and preferred seeking clams with his bare feet. His family called it, “Hank’s Clam Dance”.

Hank first met his wife Elaine in Rhode Island in the 1950s when he was a tennis instructor and lifeguard at the beach where she vacationed as a young girl. Decades after meeting Hank, Elaine married him, her childhood crush. Known for creating whimsical papier-mache animals, Hank won many awards and exhibited his art at An Occasion for the Arts, Williamsburg Contemporary Art Show, the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show, and art shows in Mystic, Connecticut.

Hank was an enthusiastic musician. He sang with the Dukes of Gloucester, a men’s ensemble, and was a talented pianist. Friends and loved ones were often the proud recipients of Hank’s poems on birthdays and special occasions. The poetry he created highlighted his wry wit, optimism and intellect. As he aged and his posture became more hunched, he observed, “I used to look at Elaine’s beautiful face. Now I look at her shoes.”

He was pre-deceased by his wife, Marjorie H. Mook and his brothers Gilbert K. Mook and Dr. William H. Mook. He is survived by his wife Elaine H. Abbott; son Nicholas H. Mook and wife Ina, daughter Joanne M. Halpin and husband Will; step-children Roberta Hunter and husband Warren, Martha Buswell and partner Rick Theriault, Jennifer Burns and husband Mark, Gray Houghland and wife Catherine, and Leigh Houghland and wife Laurie; grandson Paul Miner and wife Lynn; 9 step-grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center, 110 Westover Ave., Williamsburg, VA 23185. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Cremation Society of Virginia – Newport News is assisting the family with arrangements. Details will be updated at vacremationsociety.com.

A graveside service for Henry Kaltenbach Mook will be held Monday, September 6 at 10:00am at Cedar Grove Cemetery, 809 South Henry St., Williamsburg, VA. Immediately following the service, the family will welcome friends at Queens Lake Community Clubhouse, 234 E. Queens Dr.