Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

The lectures your squad and the briefings you received daily from your Watch Commander set the tone for how your day would begin. Workaholics love an abundance of information, back in your day, Officer Cook, I know cellular phones were not around, nor were computers. But you and your colleagues went out on your patrols looking for ways as you were fighting crimes to make your communities safer and more thriving. You focused your endeavors on any important tasks at hand as safely and as soundly as you could. More importantly you achieved with any fanfare only the humble accolades of Dade County residents. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 28, 2014

Meetings, caucuses, committees, group discussions, talk, chatter, many of us believe what we say because it makes us think we have actually accomplished a task. If you addressed any kind of group or organization, Officer Cook, I'm sure you enjoyed instilling a motivation within any person young or old who was willing to listen to you humbly expand upon the virtues of your chosen profession. You were an aspiring individual who utilized his God given talents and an honor and integrity called for in your position to make and bring about the necessary changes in how Dade County citizens live and prosper. Tough is having faith in the innate resilience of the human spirit. You were our heroic warrior who was blessed not only with a very loving family, but by principles and morals, standards of correct conduct so needed by each person living in this society. I wish you could have spoken to my Boy Scout Troop #350. Scoutmaster Dr. Stanford Cooke would have appreciated a visit from North Miami Beach's own special person, Officer William C. Cook, Badge#1664. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 28, 2014

Hysteria can consume the most plainest of folks. There is no sense in being hysterical, being calm with a soothing voice of logic and reason is what helps make a good police officer. Hysteria can strike paranoia in some, but you were one of the honest and truly down to earth police officers, Officer Cook. Having worked most of the shifts, officers have to adjust their body clocks to the different times and situations. Having worked nights at the Postal Service, I sure knew what missing a good night's rest was all about. Your job performance and reflexes hinged upon proper rest and nutrition. Like myself, having a loving wife as your partner sure can help in any endeavors you undertake. Karen was there for you, loved and supported your decisions to become a police officer. You put your trust and faith in God and He never steered your compass out of sync. God surely directs your soul along with those who paid the ultimate price wherever He needs you to watch over those who like you did battle with the wickedness that still seems commonplace in today's society. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 27, 2014

Police work has its officers who seem to act as personalities and characters. I guess in a profession like yours, Officer Cook, you had characters and comrades with senses of humor. You just try to master what you can each day and not look too far ahead in the future. But when you came to work ready to carry out your day's assignments, your tank was running on full. You can never take anything for granted. Your sensible approaches paid off for you most of the time, because of the dignified, logical and honorable way you conducted your official business. Nothing wrong with a laugh or smile, sometimes it's the most simplest method to help jump start your day. There is nothing wrong with being in the right venue to save your comrades and the thankful civilians whose lives were spared by your heroic actions. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 27, 2014

There is more to life than increasing its speed. Move faster, faster, get it done. Ahead of schedule is music to our ears, before deadline almost makes us swoon. Velocity covers an enormous lack of self-awareness. If we can slow down enough to know what we are doing and why we are doing it, our lives begin to stabilize and we begin to see far beyond our tasks. Police officers cannot and for sure should not rush headlong and empty-headed into every assignment at hand. Analysis, careful research, proper training and technique, along with basic knowledge and maturity, are some of the basic traits one needs before tackling any problem. Access a situation, be accountable, reliable and honorable before charging into anything. A little dose of humility and humbleness would certainly help to keep a situation at a minimum before things get worse. Officer Cook, your sense of responsibility and direction to lead other officers made you a most valued asset to your department and in your division. If today's officers would stop and think before plundering into situations, it would make the lives of not only their colleagues, but the citizens they serve and protect a little less vulnerable. Sometimes officers can investigate whom they are dealing with, other times they cannot regardless of the circumstances. Unfortunately, circumstances can't bring you back, wish they could for you and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. You all are truly excellent men and women of impeccable character. That counts for more than anything in the world where decent police officers carry a tremendous burden in fighting the battles of wickedness. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. You were not the kind of person to be undermined or bogged down by any task arduous or not at hand.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 26, 2014

Sometimes it is the good people who bear the scars and wounds of war. Fate can surely deal a terrible tragedy our way. A person who takes the time to think and know their own mind will never be held against their true will. I'm sure we all at one time think about life's possibilities and the results for choosing and in making decisions properly. Your life and all that you garnered from it, Officer Cook, were indeed the tell tale signs that whatever you decided to become, you were destined to be successful at it. The feelings, thoughts and actions of our brave and courageous men and women of law enforcement surely have to count for something. Every time God forbid an officer is hurt or surrenders their life in the line of duty plenty of mixed emotions seem to creep in our hearts and minds. They don't come any more valiant than yourself, Officer Cook. Heaven rolls out the proverbial golden carpet for all of its heroines and heroes. You paid the ultimate price for our unity and liberties, God surely finds the eternal means to shelter those who assist Him in this stepped up fight against evil. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 26, 2014

Power is not happiness. Happiness is one who is content with their portion in this world. So many of us are ensnared and intoxicated by the idea of power. Power to control one's emotions can definitely lead to knowledge. Some believe that if we attain a certain level of power, we will be free of tyranny. Few of us take stock of what power will afford us or how we intend to use it. We always need to take a daily inventory of ourselves and actions. You were this type of police officer, Officer Cook, you were driven to lead a squad based upon knowledge, your maturity, self-confidence and more importantly your honesty. In today's age, some officers are driven sadly by ego and greed, a no-no that no department, much less any job would tolerate from its employees and when you work with two or three thousand other fine officers, one bad apple can spoil the excellent accomplishments of other officers. One needs to harness the power. You work history, your official police file was only filled with accommodations for your resourcefulness. You and officer Keith DiGenova could lecture the troops extensively on this matter. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 25, 2014

People are only truly great when they act from a passionate side. Sometimes when we overdo it we lose sight of our passions. We over commit ourselves, sometimes by accident, other times purposely. The activities that give us the greatest pleasures are the ones we should strive to act passionately upon. You were an excellent photographer, Officer Cook, with a keen eye for the excitement of the outdoors. I would imagine this was one way to unwind, to relieve a bit of stress you might have brought home with you. But I believe for the most part you were a calm and cerebral individual. You grew up and lived in a simple home, as I would say, a humble abode and when you married Karen, the two of you purchased a nice simple home in the Norwood section in Norland, another loving home, a humble abode. Everyone has eclectic tastes and you both worked very hard to buy your home, I don't think you were handed any keys. When my parents came down to Florida in 1966, after my dad retired from the New York City Police Department, we bought a simple humble abode on NE 6th Avenue and 179th Drive. Your accomplishments were driven by both humility and a truly thriving passion along with the honesty that your profession expects from all its fine officers. No citizen was ever denied a lackluster effort on your part, only the chance to see you today, shake hands with you and maybe a big hug or two as you smiled at them, conversed and related some interesting stories. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 25, 2014

Nurturing people is a way to get them on the tasks at hand, keeping them focused and getting the job done. Most officers try to adopt this trait as it is their best policy in helping them accomplish their assignments placed at their feet. What made you, Officer Cook, an excellent police officer and a most successful leader, is that you led with your entire being. Your passion, compassion, sense of balance and fair play when combined with all the positive characteristics that go in making an officer of dignity and integrity all powerful formulas in working well together that were indeed your hallmarks of why you were successful for the most part. Your heart and head my neighbor, friend and hero were always in the right area, when you were born, you certainly were placed at both our hands and feet and Dade County residents could then breath a sigh of relief. Some police officers bring their egos to work, you, Officer Cook, brought skill, grace, valor along with the dignity and pride you took upon yourself when donning a police uniform and wearing your badge with all the pride in the world when patrolling the streets looking to keep the public peace. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 24, 2014

Competing pressures tempt one to believe that an issue deferred is a problem avoided; more often it is a crisis invented. Police officers have to deal with all sorts of problems, crises, diversions, etc. A problem created is left with faithful, loyal and honorable brave men and women who as part of their jobs are to go and try and not only solve, but to resolve a situation that can be a detriment to society and the freedoms that its residents enjoy. Officer Cook, through your desire and determination you were able to solve problems that most ordinary people would have not dared to touch. No one obviously looks for trouble, sadly on May 16, 1979, it found yourself and other fine officers from your department embroiled in a hornet's nest where all of your finest work, honest and devoted as it always was being placed on the line. You utilized every correct tactic to avoid more harm and in the end you demonstrated superbly why exactly you were one of God's most faithful public servants. Our heads were bowed in sorrow over your tragic loss, as many officers, your friends and colleagues gathered to pay their respects to your family. When the going got tough, it was officers like yourself who did not take the high road, when the landscape of Dade County needed alterations to avoid altercations, it was you who with a semblance of ingenuity and virtue went out and made positive results occur. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 24, 2014

Men of power have no time to read, yet the men who do not read are unfit for power. Literacy an dreading do go hand and hand, after all, how can one survive the challenges both mental and physical if they cannot read much less follow simple commands. most of us make rash decisions, spur of the moment so to speak, no telling how they will turn out in their finality. We all suddenly become efficient and smart. But where do we gleam this information needed to make rapid decisions based on sound logic and conductive reasoning? So who do too much also do too little, so how do we change this pattern? Whether you read for work or for pleasure, retention plays an important role. You enjoyed reading good books, Officer Cook, in your school, I don't know if they had a reading program called SRA, this would have been at Sabal Palm Elementary where I also attended six years after you. Reading sharpens one's mind, it can keep you fresh and certainly relief some stress that may be brought on by your position. With a calm demeanor and sense of fair play, these were some of the tools you utilized to make sense of the evil that reared its ugliness that you were sworn to uphold, try to eliminate from our society all while serving, protecting and defending Dade County citizens. You were the best and your vigilance was always superb as was the heroism you displayed that day saving seven lives. If there was a positive powerbroker it was you my neighbor, friend and hero. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 23, 2014

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. Your key to achievement, Officer Cook, as are most persons is to be honest and straight forward. Not beating around the bush, dancing around the issues at hand. The genesis of it all begins in a loving home, in which the tone was set at a very early age for you and your sister, Nancy. Your teachers, clergy personnel, a pastor, a rabbi whoever you could trust besides your folks to lean on for counsel and sage advice. Trying to please your friends, at least they never let you down. One must be careful who you trust. Police officers like some professions have to try to get along with one another as you all go to battle against the very same enemy daily, evil. If one officer suffers failure it could trickle down the ranks like a domino effect. In your day, as venerable and persevering an officer that was known and respected, you tried some different routes to bring about unity and peace in a community where you were regarded in high esteem. Pessimism was not a part of your vocabulary, faith and optimism were the challenges that greeted you each day, as you were one person not to duck or run from a challenge. And May 16, 1979, epitomized that challenge, you didn't run, you could have returned to your stationhouse, but you did what most officers I'm sure would have done, you responded with a sense of urgency and sized up the dilemma that you and your comrades were dealing with. Your bravery, kindness and concern were some of these hallmarks of your life and promising career and will not ever be forgotten. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 23, 2014

A pillar of strength, he passed our way daring to hold his standards high, stalwart-he touched the lives of hundreds in his day, enriched as each passed by, by embrace, his love-the hallmark of his life, filtered through like light in the morning shone, his qualities are assimilates may tune the hearts of generations yet unborn. All those who knew you, Officer Cook, knew you to be a man of character, with a stellar heart to serve the Lord as the humbly faithful public servant to the residents of a Dade County community where you were revered and respected. It is no coincidence the light of your cherished soul then and now continues to enhance society with its brightness like the beauty of a lovely sunrise. Your family loved you and looked up to you to keep them together. Well you still do and will forever be held in the highest regards. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. We could with great humility include many other accolades to the hallmarks of a well lived life and an accomplished career of which a forced early retirement was not supposed to be. God directs each and every one of our destinies and yours, Officer Cook, is being framed in time for all to witness. The sheer greatness of your achievements, leaves one to only imagine what might have been further fulfilled if you were allowed the opportunity that even our police officers who have rights should be allowed to prosper too and live as they choose with their significant partners, your beloved wife, Karen.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 22, 2014

When it comes time to do your own life, you either perpetrate your childhood or you stand on it and finally kick it out from under. A little laugh, a little silliness growing up can be good for one's soul. But it all speaks to growing up and into maturing as a young man or woman. One tries to do what is right, what is proper and prudent because of their family upbringing. You exemplified this in so many ways, Officer Cook. You made amends, you forgave if someone wronged you and moved on to bigger and brighter tomorrows. The epitome of how to live and lead a most notable and venerable life while staying humble and composed. if God had given you more time in terms of years, there would have been a proper time to say goodbye to your police family. Unfortunately,it was your family and police family that gathered that Saturday afternoon of May 19, 1979, to pay their respects, celebrate though I'm sure with a very poignant and touching eulogy delivered at your Inspector's Funeral at St. Mary's Cathedral. It was there where those close to you from all around the country said their goodbyes to a man of wit with a gregarious sense of humor. You were a genuinely articulate human being who took care of whatever needed to get done. You were Charles and Julia Cook's darling son, a devoted brother to Nancy and a beloved husband to Karen, most importantly you were a true hero in life and in how you carried yourself professionally during your career as well. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. The righteous always find their proper shelter in God's home, they don't need to go searching, it is those of us who seek the proper solace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 22, 2014

Life is an adventure in forgiveness. Life can be one of happiness and in gladness if shared with the right partner. One thing for sure, Officer Cook, you made your young life and police career count as much as you cared for your mother, Mrs. Julia Cook, after your beloved father, Charles, passed on. The road you took to start your promising career was not one of the high road. But then neither was the road in which your beloved wife, Karen, traveled upon to become a registered nurse. Hard work and patience usually rewards a person's endeavors and nobody toiled harder and with more honor and integrity than did you , Officer Cook and Karen. I guess if there is forgiveness to be requested, it's that we should have been there that day to help you in any way, shape or form. So please forgive us. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. None of us shall ever forget the ultimate sacrifice you made on behalf of Dade County and its citizens.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 22, 2014

People don't change their careers, they are engulfed in them. They live on the edge. They are no longer kind and giving because they have forgotten how to be. They hide and pretend nothing is wrong. But now we all have to take stock and an inventory of ourselves to witness what we control and how this can control us. You were a man of vision, Officer Cook, you perceived what needed fixing and tried your utmost to see this through. You and Karen were giving and forgiving. Your lives as a married couple were based on honor and integrity, a virtue we all would like to share. Your professional career was incorporated on the principles of honor and dignity. Now in heaven where your soul can travel to protect those who have taken over your watch, valor and virtue are the validity of why you made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Dade County citizens whom you served and protected with a devout sense of faithfulness, devotion, determination, desire and a passionate sense of intellectual diligence. All very meaningful lessons we can sure use a basic review of. Sometimes you just cannot teach this to everyone. Not everybody can have this drummed into their heads. But you were there at all times and at all costs and will not be forgotten. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 21, 2014

When you talk real fast and never come up for air long enough for anyone else to cram in a word or a thought edgewise, you can sure get lost in your own rhetoric. This happens with great regularity to those of us who feel that others depend on us for guidance, indeed for their existence. We have carefully constructed our self-myths that sometimes we believe them. The only trouble is we are one thing one day, another the next. We need to slow down a bit, listen to what we are saying. We need to be present at our own podiums, our own speeches. Everyday we need to think about what we utter as opposed to how much we want to say. Officer Cook, you were a thinking person's police officer, who could demonstrate you points without many words or much fanfare. From the moment of our births, until our last breaths, every word we use is measured and one only gets to say so many words. People listened to you, your logic, your calming and intellectual voice of reason. You would never lead anyone astray. If only that day, had God let your voice have more influence in getting this man to surrender, as much as you tried to simmer down a serious situation between yourselves, the police, a troubled young man and his girlfriend. Believe it or not, your voice can still be heard from the heavens above eminating from your beloved soul all these years later. The message is to keep up the fight, the battle against evil,one day real soon,the war will end. Let us pray. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Your podium stood as your mantle of honor and dignity. In God's shelter it continues its flight on the pathways of valor and virtue.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 21, 2014

Some of us like to hide out. I'm sure as a young boy, Officer Cook, you liked playing hide and seek. Hiding-getting away from the stress can actually be healthy. But it can be bad for us if we utilize too much camouflage. Those that truly care about us, sometimes cannot locate us. Today, people hide out on their boats, planes, cellular phones, the last two were not around during your time. This preoccupation with hiding can cause one bi negative, it can stunt your personal growth. Instead of doing this, try to be more approachable, more forthcoming, more present for those who love and cherish you. You were always a friendly fellow, Officer Cook, an engaging personally, with a vivid sense of humor, very approachable, very forthright, someone who spoke only the truth and your colleagues, your beloved family and friends outside your profession, knew this was exactly how you lived life and were able to maintain a very well managed and respectable persona as a loyal public servant who went over and beyond the calls of duty. When something needed to be rehashed, you were able to get your point across, succinctly, sincerely and compassionately. This was how you operated on good discipline and following rules and the principles that were associated with those rules. Wherever you were placed, you got the most out of your effort, because you knew how to react and in turn, this was why the citizens loved and respected you. You had their concern on your badge and uniform as their number one priority. The valor you displayed on not only that day, but everyday is why you'll never be forgotten. That badge and uniform you wore to work is the most important thing along with the person wearing it with honor and humility called for in your position. You never hid from duty, you never shirked responsibility and deserting your comrades in time of need never crept into your mind. Until the end you fought and never gave up. God bless you as you rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. You were richly blessed in how you comported yourself and affairs. This came from your beloved parents, sometimes in today's youth this is sadly missing. You are missed beyond words. Your actions, your speech, they are very much absent from society. You could give a long and basic lesson on how to behave if you were here. May 16, 1979, just like forty-one other times this lesson has been given and it never grows old. These were you forty-one colleagues past and present who stood on the front line preaching this lesson and giving their all for a better and a safer mankind. When one departs this world, they are imparting in all of us something pretty special. That one gem that made them so unique.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 20, 2014

The two hardest things in life are failure and success. But it is those failures that can lead us down the pathways to success. We need to stop thinking in absolutes. Is there absolute failure, absolute success? Just trying your best to become all that Our Creator imbued in each of His creatures I believe is what life is about. Our lives and our work are an interrelated chain of events and performances. As we live life, a mosaic is created. There are modulations in color, in line, in texture, nuances in coincidence of edge and perspective. There is no absolute failure, no absolute success. if you live your life and the days, afternoons, evenings and each moment of them, one can enjoy a rather pleasing and fulfilling day. if you race against an imaginary clock, for an imaginary prize, toward an imaginary end zone, you will never be fulfilled. Officer Cook, this was not how you led your humble life and carried out and carved out a solid career for six wonderful years of achievement with the Metro-Dade Police Department. You never lived on the edge, as you brought a freshly new perspective to your division and to your department. I think most of us, particularly your colleagues look at May 16, 1979, as a tragedy within and all around the country in what occurred that day to you. It definitely was not a failure, how could it be when an officer answers a call they have gone to many times, a block away and yet you and your partner, Officer Lincoln, were not dispatched. You went to assist your fellow officers and in doing so saved their lives and those three civilians. Success and failure are not and should never be mistaken for your unselfish bravery, courage and the commitment to act in a heroic fashion with decency, dignity and the honor and respect that is called upon all police officers to act this way. The watch continues as you, my neighbor, friend and hero, Officer Cook, rest in peace. Your declaration to act, your resolve to get involved is what is going to be how you are forever remembered. Preoccupation versus procrastination, neither of which filtered into your stellar career. Police nowadays have to modulate their lives and careers to the changing times.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 20, 2014

Nice guys may finish last. Life to some is comparable to a race. too many of us mix up sports with our chosen professions of endeavor. Competition in life, in all aspects of it can be totally draining. We are left without any emotional or intellectual reserves. What is the deal with speed? does everything need to be measured or calibrated? Whether at home or at work, you want to finish everything and not leave something for someone else to finish. We work and do things at our own pace. You did this, Officer Cook, when in your quiet times. While you were on duty, you made sure to complete all of your assignments to the best of your ability and with the respect and honor that police work beckons all its officers to try and do. In police work, it's not who comes in first or last, it is rather the pattern by which our heroes and heroines conduct their lives in private and when seen out in public serving its citizens and making sure things in the community stay safe and calm according to the letter of the law. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero, the stopwatch God has never takes a break, all its hands are constantly on the move as He moves you from place to place, point A to point B to watch over those comrades who have taken over your watch with the proper calibrations.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2014

No person can think clearly when our fists are clenched. So many of us are constantly uptight, afraid, angry, ready for anything, poised on the brink of a fight. We view everything as an impediment, or worse, an enemy. There are real enemies and those we imagine. Today we will attempt to untie the binds of our anxiety and unclench our fists of rage. You were a very special person, Officer Cook, a man of honor, a person of passion, concerned and compassionate. A man poised to let his life and career reflect your excellent upbringing from your two loving, doting and beloved parents. A uniquely humble gentleman, literally, whose dignity and visions of integrity were the sparks of which assisted you in your fight against evil. The war you waged against wickedness in Dade County in an effort, a stellar one succinctly put that helped bridge gaps between its citizens and its devoted, desirable and determined officers, heroes and heroines who like yourself, Officer Cook, risked your existence, so that the bonds of peace, liberty and unity could continue co-existing today, without anyone feeling restrained. Your calm and method of taking care of your official business, made you now and for all time a "hero," whose eternal legacy shall stand forever between your colleagues and the people of which you took a solemn oath to defend, serve and protect. A pen maybe mightier than the sword, you my neighbor, friend and hero which humanely mightier for your soothing and gentle professional demeanor. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2014

I'm sure as a kid, Officer Cook, you relished participating in kid games with your friends. You worked very hard for your salary, which back in your day was not anything like the salaries of today's police officers. Maybe there times when you had not noticed the calendar or clock. But you were just enjoying your life and when you got a bit older, you knew responsibilities would come with the profession, the position you were attending the police academy in an effort to become. Police officers just try to carve out some off-time to be with their spouses, their families, whatever they endeavor to do to relax and get away from the rigors of their job. You performed your job admirably and courageously, I guess it would have been nice if officers in your day had those sidepanels for added protection. But, you were a valued and loving member of your police family, who will forever be remembered for your determination and heroic actions on May 16, 1979. We all wish we could rollback the clock, hoping you would still be here and enjoying the marvelously quiet times with Karen and the rest of your beloved family. I'll always keep your mother, Mrs. Julia Cook, in my thoughts and prayers. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. The great outdoors has missed your beautiful photos of her majestic regal in all her splendor. When it came time to react, you were the consummate professional in reacting and not procrastinating. This cannot ever be tolerated in any position, much less in police work.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2014

People who do too much sometimes speak a little too much. Many of us are poor listeners. We need to hear what others think, what others need, what is it that others want from us. It can be a bit difficult to act humble when one is overloaded with responsibility. We need to be humble and better listeners. That is why, Officer Cook, you became the loving and highly respected police officer who was able to accomplish quite a bit in your six years of loyal, faithful and devoted service to the Metro-Dade Police Department and its citizens of which you certainly helped to maintain a calming and positive influence. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. You were an excellent listener, whose humble approaches worked wonders.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2014

It's hard work to make others happy. We certainly don't have the time, nor do we deserve to be happy ourselves. When something is about to gain on us, the fear can control us totally. It's said that people who do too much need to kick back and laugh. If we are fortunate we can share the laughter with a significant other. There were times Officer Cook, when you could laugh as loud as the next person, possessing a sharp sense of humor. When the moment called for seriousness, your eyes and ears could be counted on for proper assessment of the dilemma at hand. Your calming voice of reason, there to help calm and defuse any situation. A police officer needs to have a certain air of confidence and compassion to successfully handles those duties laid before them. You were the best at this. To assess, access and achieve were the parameters around which your career was able to be carried out for the most part. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. let us hope today's officers have their ABC's down pat.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2014

There is value in quiet contemplation. It is rejuvenating. It's an act of self-respect and finally, an act of respect for those whose lives we touched. While racing to situations that call for a police officer's immediate attention, there are moments when I would imagine you may be thinking about what needs to get done in order to accomplish the goal of solving the problem. and since you respected everything about life and your career, Officer Cook, making sure you achieved a means to a satisfactory conclusion meant giving every ounce of effort in an earnest, honest and dignified manner. You did touch not only your parents, sister, wife and your extended family, but those colleagues so near and dear to you that you gave up your life saving them and those civilians whose lives you were responsible and the onus you had for their safety. No one should ever take these onuses for granted something you my neighbor, friend and hero never did. Rest in peace. Family values and your extended police family members were your priorities and you treasured them without any shadow of a doubt.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2014