Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, bestowed for the good of the country and not for the benefit of an individual or a party. You had the trust of Dade County, Officer Cook and you gave your very life to see that trust not become polluted nor corrupted. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Thanks to men and women like you, Officer Cook, we can look forward to visions of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly behooves any one of us to talk about the rest of us. Hear no ill of a friend, nor speak any of an enemy. Gossip is only the lack of a worthy theme. Knowing, what all experience serves to show, no mud can soil us but the mud we throw. There was so much good in your life, Officer Cook, that began as a young boy and and continue to develop as you were growing up to become the upstanding police officer that Dade County came to know and cherish. You had so much more to contribute to society, but God decided at age twenty-five that your contributions were brave enough to warrant a heavenly call to God's divine streets where only now can you be totally sheltered as you watch over us. Your contributions were more than most people would make in an entire lifetime. What eminated from your lips was only what your loving parents imparted to you and your sister, Nancy, growing up. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

Wisdom, justice, moderation. If any officers lacks these three essentials qualities, their fitness to serve can come into question. Officer Cook, you were wise in your associations. you were fair, just and unbiased when necessity knocked. And you tended to assess your dilemmas with a moderate approach until more steps were needed to solve the problem. Your soothing and calming voice of reason is surely missed this day and always. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

Genius is not a single power.... It reasons, but it is not reasoning; it judges, but it is not judgment; it imagines, but it is not imagination; it feels deeply and fiercely, but it is not passion. It is neither, because it is all. Genius is no snob. It does not run after titles or seek by preference the high circles of society. You did not chase honor and glory, Officer Cook, you went after the roots of evil and were able to make a large dent in the crime rate while serving those citizens you were obligated to serve and protect. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

Genius is the father of a heavenly line; but the mortal mother, that is industry. Men of genius are far more abundant than supposed. In fact, to appreciate thoroughly the work of what we call genius, is to possess all the genius by which the work was produced. The work you turned out each day, Officer Cook, was always rated far more superior than that of most of your colleagues. You were appreciated for making the ultimate in wisdom and honor, obedience and loyalty. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

Genius is the ability to act wisely without precedent-the power to do the right thing the first time. Officers don't always receive second opportunities to correct a mistake so they have to be more alert and cautious when performing their sworn duties. talent is that which is in a man's power; genius is that in whose power a man is. You utilized your power, Officer Cook, properly at all times and it made you the confident officer who was able to thrive and survive when called upon. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

The miracles of genius always rest on profound convictions which refuse to be analyzed. Genius is always impatient of its harness; its wild blood makes it hard to train. An impatient or temper filled police recruit is hard to train, can be difficult to train and to be able to absorb the harsh realities that the police profession brings. Officer Cook, my neighbor, friend and hero, your pedigree stood out in proper formation among your colleagues and the sanity and wit you brought to your job stayed with you all those years you were dutifully employed with Dade County. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

Talent finds its models, methods and ends in society, exists for exhibition and goes to the soul only for power to work. Genius is its own end and draws its means and the style of its architecture from within. They, meaning the Metro-Dade Police Department did not have to travel very far to find an outstanding recruit. Officer Cook, you were the model officer whose personification was magnified by your exemplary character and call to duty. Chief Dale P. Bowlin knew he had one fine and outstanding officer in his department and as he reflected your actions that day of May 16, 1979, were truly heroic in that you saved seven lives, placing you life in harm's way to stop a young man tragically bent on violence. Rest in peace neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration. Officer Cook, I believe officers such as yourself do give of themselves and the reward is based on the sweat and toil by which you accomplish your tasks at hand. You are to be forever saluted for your service. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

There are the prerogatives of genius: to know without having learned; to draw just conclusions from unknown premises; to discern the soul of things. You were mature than most of your peers, Officer Cook and the level-headedness you showed only confirmed what we already knew and that was your true character and how you performed with dignity and integrity. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

The hymn they play at Inspector's Funerals one could say demonstrates a police officer's amazing grace and how officers such as yourself, Officer Cook, deal with every and any possible problem with courage, bravery and valor personified. The excellence you displayed was truly amazing and will not be replicated. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Amazing Grace strikes an emotional chord and it should evoke emotion after all, don't we want our officers who work under stress and in all conditions to show some compassion? They perform amazingly most of the time and like yourself, Officer Cook did not look for any accolades or glory. True respect and honor humbly comes to those when they least expect it.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

True friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation. Friendship can take a whole life to develop, but it is the one who can maintain their friends and help others make them that is the sign of a true individual. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Officer Cook, you were the steady force and bond between all of your fellow officers never to be forgotten.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

There can be no friendship where there is no freedom. Friendship loves a free air and will not be fenced up in straight and narrow enclosures. You helped maintain open dialogues, Officer Cook, which led to friendships and helped ward off evil in our society. You were there when called upon and now we call upon your soul to help us when needed. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

A man cannot be said to succeed in this life who does not satisfy one friend. Your accommodated many, Officer Cook. A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously and continues a friend without change. All of the above is true about you my neighbor, friend and hero. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

I breathed a song into the air, it fell to earth, I knew not where....and the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend. The song they play at Inspector's Funerals, Officer Cook, seems to inspire us to remember your bravery, courage and wit in policing our community. We salute you at the start and at the finish when we place your very special soul back in God's keeping forever to fly the highest heights. For all your lofty aspirations, let us aspire to lead by your inspirations performed in dignity and integrity. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

Friendship is both a treasure and a comfort. Fame is the scentless sunflower, with gaudy crown of gold; but friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold. You were a very sweet man, Officer Cook, too young to leave this world and the gaping hole left by your untimely departure. Your friend is the man who knows all about you and still likes you. You'll never stop being toasted for your bravery, Officer Cook. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature. The only way to have a friend is to be one. How very true, Officer Cook, you endeared yourself to so many citizens and law enforcement personnel, it would be impossible to count the very many close friends that shared good times and attended your Inspector's Funeral to salute you one final time. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. before him I may think aloud. Your colleagues always enjoyed their moments with you, Officer Cook, if you were on a tennis court or at a table enjoying a fine meal with them. That is surely missed today, but they have never forgotten your engaging spirit. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible. Your friendship to me Officer Cook, would have been the greatest considering growing up in North Miami Beach, I did not for what ever reason have that many. I'm sorry we never got to meet each other, but I have revered you and the work and ideals that characterized your life and career. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. As a very approachable person, friendships came rather easy to you and you were the type of student in school who would have excelled in any endeavor. You choose police work, I suspect because of its challenges and in being out in the open among different persons and their ideals and backgrounds. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Unifying rather than untying was your motto.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and the prudence never to practice either of them. We can do what we want so long a sit is proper and within the realms and bounds of the law. You were here, Officer Cook, to make sure we were obeying the laws you took an oath to enforce and you did so with clarity and without being obstructed. You were the go to officer who could be counted on when things got tough. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

What other liberty is there worth having, if we have not freedom and peace in our minds-if our inmost and most private man is but a sour and turbid pool? Officer Cook, you were the loyal and patient officer who delivered excellence daily to us and for this we must be forever grateful. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

Freedom is not an ideal, it is not even a protection, if it means nothing more than freedom to stagnate, to live without dreams, to have no greater aim than a second car and another television set- and this world where half our fellow men have less than enough to eat. Officer Cook, you were a giver to modern society in all your efforts as an officer and when off duty will always be noted. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

If our freedom means ease alone, if it means shirking the hard disciplines of learning, if it means evading the rigors and rewards of creative activity, if it means more expenditure on advertising than education, if it means in the schools the steady cult of the trivial and the mediocre, if it means-worst of all-indifference, or even contempt for all athletic excellence, we may keep for a time the forms of free society, but its spirit will be dead. Your spirit and good nature, Officer Cook continues to abound because you did not shirk, evade or look for glory as the work you performed was only done with the best of intentions. You kept a pulse on the community you watched with reverence and passion. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

Freedom-effective freedom-does not exist as a formula which can be written out by some and then used by others. The freedom that counts is simply what is in the minds and hearts of millions of free people. It is nothing more than the total of the feelings of people as they are expressed in the way we, the people, deal with our own families, neighbors and associates. Your message for freedom, Officer Cook was to bring parties together in a calm and fair manner, hashing out any differences to lead to a fair and unbiased conclusion. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013

We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in their own way everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want...everywhere in the world. the fourth is freedom from fear...anywhere in the world. This is why we have men and women like yourself, Officer Cook, who are serving and risking your freedoms for us to have these same rights. You achieved success in your endeavors and now God has called you home to watch over your fellow sisters and brothers who pursue the same ideals in our midst as you so loyally did for six years with Dade County. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 17, 2013