Tara Cook Obituary, Death – Tara Elizabeth Cook, who had reached the age of fifty when she died away on May 31, 2021, did not endure any pain in her final days and was surrounded by the affection of her family when she passed away. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States of America to parents named Joseph Mach and Edna (Neubert) Mach. She attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, where she earned her degree in 1988, and she says that the education she acquired there is largely responsible for the enthusiasm for learning that she possesses today.
After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1995 and getting her diploma, she joined the Army and worked as a signal officer for the subsequent five years, during which she was posted in both Kuwait and Bosnia. During the time that she was serving in the Army, she made her initial acquaintance with Ken, the man whom she would eventually wed in the year 1998. She completed her residency in neurology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in the year 2010, having gotten her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the year 2006.
She originally became interested in long-distance bicycle touring while she was living in Iowa, and more especially, in the annual RAGBRAI cycling route that covers the entire state of Iowa from north to south. Her affection for nature inspired her to cultivate an interest in a variety of outdoor pursuits, including cycling, hiking, and camping. After completing her residency, she went on to work as a neurologist and flight surgeon for the United States Air Force. She returned to school in 2016 and received a master’s degree in medical education from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018.
She also completed a residency in hospice and palliative care during that same year. She remained on the faculty of UPMC’s Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics after her time there was completed. She was able to continue practicing medicine in the manner in which she believed all patients should be treated, namely from the perspective of the patient as a whole, while simultaneously devising courses to teach neurologists how to communicate successfully. She held this position for a number of years.
