At Miami University, Sterling D. Cook Jr. was a vibrant splash of color on a large canvas.

        He could often be spotted driving around the campus with visiting artists or former students in Edwina Parke-Addams, his 1939 Rolls-Royce.

        And in 1978, he opened the Miami University Art Museum which to this day remains one of the most modern buildings in Oxford.

        Mr. Cook, curator emeritus of the museum, died July 19 at Berkeley Square in Hamilton of pneumonia. The longtime Oxford resident was 85.

        “He was an incredible raconteur ... just an extraordinary, entertaining person,” said his longtime friend, Donald W. Fritz of Oxford, who is a Miami University professor emeritus of English and director emeritus of The Performing Arts Series.

        Mr. Cook moved to Oxford in 1954, when his partner, John Montagnini, accepted a position as the librarian for Miami University's art and architecture department.

        He earned a master's in fine art from the university in 1957. That same year, Mr. Montagnini died, and Mr. Cook took over as the librarian for the department.

        In 1972, he became the coordinator of Roland Hall, then the university's art gallery, and a precursor to the art museum. Four years later, he became the curator of the Walter Netsch-designed Miami University Art Museum.

        Born in Pima, Texas, and raised in several Southern states, Mr. Cook was familiar with all types of fine art, but had an affinity for folk art. His exhibit featuring Louisiana-based folk artists was particularly successful, as was a 1981 show featuring artist Paul Cadmus.

        “He had an eclectic art collection — anything from Oriental rugs to an 18th-century German clock,” said Mr. Fritz.

        When the lifelong art collector retired in 1986, he spent his time renovating his Oxford home, tending his 17-acre yard, and caring for his colorfully named animals (he once had a bird named Pope John the 23rd).

        Mr. Cook was a member of the Ohio Folk Arts Society and the Victorian Society. He was preceded in death by a brother, James.

        Surviving is a brother, T. Patrick Cook, of Crossett, Ark.; and several nieces and nephews.

        A memorial service will be at 2 p.m., Sept. 14, at the Miami University Art Museum.

        His body was cremated. Memorials: Sterling Cook Scholarship Fund, c/o Cheryl Lancaster, Advancement Services, Miami University, Oxford, 45056.

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