ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Chances are, you or a family member has an iPod. Or an iPhone. Or has or works on an Apple computer.

If so, Timothy D. Cook, 48, thanks you. Cook graduated from Robertsdale High in 1978. His parents, Donald D. Cook and Geraldine Cook still make their home in Robertsdale.

Cook is the Chief Operations Officer of Apple Computer Inc. He’s said to be the No. 2 man in the company, after Steve Jobs.

In April of 2008, the company posted a net quarterly profit of $1.05 billion and shipped shipped 2,289,000 Macintosh® computers during the quarter, according to an Apple press release.

That’s one side of Cook, who is described in a Wall Street Journal article as “the story behind the story.” Cook is also on the board of directors of Nike. He was not available to comment on this story.

But the elder Cooks know Tim Cook as their beloved middle son. The couple is terribly proud of all three sons — Mike Cook, who is a manager at Bender Shipyards, Tim at Apple and Gerald Cook, a quality analyst at J.H. Donovan in North Carolina.

Not that there aren’t things around the house that remind the elder Cooks of Tim. There’s a pair of Korean dolls wearing elaborate national costumes on the mantel, celebrating one of Tim’s trips to that country.

According to Donald and Geraldine, Tim calls every Sunday, “No matter where he is,” says Geraldine.

“He’s always been real smart,” said Geraldine Cook. “When he left home, I just about with with him. Of course, that was true for all three.”

Donald Cook is a retired shipyard worker, rising from a “helper” to assistant general foreman.

Geraldine is primarily a homemaker, but worked at Lee Drugs in Robertsdale. She was working there when Tim got a part-time job at the store.

“We were fine working together,” said Geraldine. “He did what he was supposed to, and I did what I was supposed to. I know they hated to see him go.”

Susan Baker, the current owner of Lee Drugs, remembers Tim Cook well.

“We were on the yearbook staff (at RHS) together. He was great, a nice, friendly person, and just a super guy,” Baker said in a telephone interview.

The family moved to Robertsdale from Pensacola, Donald Cook says, “Because of the schools.”

While at RHS, Tim Cook was active in the National Honor Society, and a member of the band. According to Donald Cook, he played trombone.

While Cook’s job may be computers now, there was little indication that the machines would catch his fancy.

“We hardly had computers back then,” Baker said “He was extremely intelligent but we had no indication he’d do so well.”

Geraldine remembers him going to a toy store with a relative and picking out a toy truck and other items. No computers. No software.

In fact Donald believes that Tim saw his first computer at Auburn, where Tim earned a degree in industrial engineering in 1982 at the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

“He always wanted to go to Auburn,” Donald said. “He wanted to be an engineer.” Donald Cook added that his son later earned an MBA from Duke University.

Perhaps it’s strange, but Donald and Geraldine say they do not have a computer in their home, and have no intention of ever having one, saying that they are “too old” to learn to use one.

“I am proud he has done so well,” said Geraldine. “Nobody helped him.”

“He’s a workaholic,” said Donald.

Geraldine added that Cook likes to ride his bike and hike.

“He works out every morning on his way to work,” she said. “He stops at the gym to work out.”