Metro-Dade Police Department, Florida
End of Watch Wednesday, May 16, 1979
Reflections for Police Officer William Coleman Cook
Men are like plants; the goodness and flavor of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess and the nature of our employment. There is a saying the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Your fine work, Officer Cook, is a model of how a person should be raised in a very refined and charismatic manner. You had those two and much more. Your dignity in seeing that law and order resided within this community is a part of the earth and mankind that will flourish forever. nothing can shake or knock down the fine reputation of one outstanding officer and the credit your department deserves for training and nurturing your career. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
Man is a soul informed by divine ideas and bodying forth their image. His mind is the unit and measure of things visible and invisible. Officer Cook, your colleagues can still visualize you and how you gave incredible effort on the job daily. A person reaps what they sew. For all you meant to your department you should be honored and given any and all tributes needed to remind the public of how heroes and heroines like you make a difference in our lives that we live and carry on because of your outstanding legacy. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
Alas for him who never sees the stars shine through His cypress trees, who hopeless, lays His dead away, nor looks to see the breaking day across the mournful marbles play! We can play whatever games we choose to play because of your thoughtful and resolve, Officer Cook. You played these games with your friends as a kid and if you could still be here with us, there would be plenty of fond memories indeed. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. You and your father are certainly reminiscing about the good old times in God's giant room in the skies above.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
Behind the cloud the starlight lurks, through showers the sunbeams fall; for God, who loves all His works, has left His hope with all! God has you with Him, Officer Cook and all your fellow comrades who showed boldness and valor. The sun rises and sets and we know you are assisting in making each of our lives brighter and better than before. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
But the nearer the dawn, the darker the night and by going wrong all things come right; things have been mended that were worse and the worse, the nearer they are to mend. Hope springs eternal and that is the message that needs to be ringing in the ears of Dade County , ever since you sacrificed your life, Officer Cook on our behalf. The tension and unrest at that time was so thick, one could cut it with a knife, like a big juicy steak. I know your colleagues share in this burden and have since made inroads in this endeavor. Things have changed dramatically since your passing, your soul has been directing this endeavor and will continue guiding the men and women who place their lives on the line in this delicate matter. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all. The setting of a great hope is like the setting of the sun. The brightness of our life is gone. The day you gave your life for us, Officer Cook, may have only put out the lights momentarily, but it never will extinguish the brightness of your soul. Doom and gloom can never silence the majority who wage war to forever vanquish the evil in our midst. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
Mid pleasures and palaces thou we may roam, be it ever so humble, there's no place like home; a charm from the sky seems to hallow us there, which, seek through the world, is near met with elsewhere, home, home, sweet, sweet home! There's no place like home! There's no place like home! The good old days, only we can remember and I will always remember you valor, Officer Cook, this too is always etched in my mind. You paid the price to give good advice and now your home is God's eternal dome, away from the pressures of everyday life. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society. And seven days of the week, Officer Cook, you found reason to make this a better place to reside. Your courage and dignity was always at a zenith and you can rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
In happy homes he saw the light, of household fires gleam warm and bright. O fortunate, O happy day, when a new household finds its place among the myriad homes of earth, like a new star just sprung to birth and rolled on its harmonious way into the boundless realms of space! You were us content and peaceful even when performing your duties, Officer Cook. You now along with your father, Charles, reside in a place that is always serene and content. For a job well done, rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
Happy is the home that shelters a friend. Every spirit makes its house; but afterwards the house confines the spirit. The home where you grew up in North Miami Beach and in the Norwood section of the Norland area where you and Karen resided was always open to your friends and neighbors. They must have felt safer knowing a truly righteous man and loyal and caring police officer resided in their area. You were the best friend, Officer Cook, in making others feel warm and comfortable. That is sorely missed today. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
Dark is the night, fitful and drearily rushes the wind, like the waves of the sea! Little care I, as here i sit cheerily, wife at my side and my baby on knee: king, king, crown me the king: home is the kingdom and love is the king! Officer Cook, you and your sister, Nancy, were raised in a very loving home by two wonderful parents and I'll always keep your mother, Mrs. Julia Cook, in my thoughts and prayers. I'm sure she enjoyed holding you on her knees and we, the citizens of Dade County were delighted your police accumen served us well. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 20, 2013
The past-the dark, unexplained retrospect! The teeming gulf- the sleepers and the shadows! The past! The infinite greatness of the past! For what is the present after all but a growth out of the past. We remember all officers who sacrificed their lives in the past, present and those who will give their beings in the future. For all eternity, officers gather at the various police memorials around the country to offer consolation and hope for families such as yours, Officer Cook, as you were one of over twenty-thousand law enforcement personnel, who stood your ground for truth and peace, sacrificing on our very behalf so we could stay united in our beliefs and dreams. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. We will not forget nor forsake the oath you proudly took, accepting without fear or reservation, any dangers that might come your way.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
Old events have modern meanings; only that survives of past history which finds kindred in all hearts and lives. The course of life is like the sea; men come and go; tides rise and fall, and that is all history. History is a realm in which human freedom and natural necessity are curiously intermingled. All officers are sisters and brothers, Officer Cook, who work as you so faithfully did for a common and just cause. To serve and protect, something you worked for par excellence. Now that you have passed, let us hope that history is not repeated in any negative connotation. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
Consult the dead upon things that were, but the living only on things that are. We visit your grave, Officer Cook, to leave a flower or a note to thank you for a job well done. Your friends who survived the rigors of police work gather periodically to celebrate your life and the good times you spent with them laughing and making the days seem brighter. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
If history teaches anything it is that there can be no peace without equilibrium and no justice without restraint. Sadly, during your time in Metro-Dade, Officer Cook, we were experiencing racial unrest within the community and this made your job along with your colleagues much tougher to tackle. But, you carried out your job fairly, properly and did show calm even in the face of evil which robbed you of your very being. It is this history that teaches us to hope. Your home at your department was where you heart belonged and now your very soul belongs to God who placed you on this earth to perform great deeds, as we take time to pause and reflect back on your life and a career marked with excellent achievements. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
History is not a divine force; it is the instrument of those who make it. Officers over one-hundred years ago, heroes and heroines who paved the way for officers such as yourself, Officer Cook to continue the search for truth and justice eradicating evil the great American way. History is a better guide than good intentions and it was your good intentions on May 16, 1979, that saved the day, my neighbor, friend and hero. As the thirteenth Metro-Dade officer to give your life in the line of duty, God has thirteen attributes and one of them is slow to anger and of great kindness. Something, Officer Cook you and Karen, both preached and put into practice focusing on a person's good qualities and they too are needed in not only law enforcement, but in the nursing profession too. Rest in peace.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
I have no expectation that any man will read history aright, who thinks that what was done in a remote age, by men whose names have resounded far, has any deeper sense than what he is doing today. Officers from far and wide remember you, Officer Cook and the good name you brought to Dade County police work. History within your department records with sadness and yet with an optimism that better days lie ahead of us because of your sacrifices that you and your loving comrades have made to better each of us in his or her own special way. To allow our aspirations to be fruitful and our dreams to take shape, this could not occur if you did not perform your job as you were trained to do and to show a so called, "fearless compassion," when assisting others. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
I feel the unmutterable longing, thy hunger of the heart is mine; I reach and grope for hands in darkness, my ear grows sharp for voice or sign. We are still grope and reach, at least try to make any sense of why you were taken by God at such a young age. At least, Officer Cook, you got to achieve your lifelong dream of becoming a police officer and giving back more than we could ever give back to you. Unity is our mission. Success is the goal. You had that my neighbor, friend and hero, we just wanted you to be here with us, to be retired and continuing your life with Karen, in good health, peace and contentment. Snapping photos of nature and all the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
The heart has its own memory, like the mind, and init are enshrined the precious keepsakes, into which is wrought the giver's loving thought. This is the right place for a giver to go and leave a little message and look back on an officer who was both very special and dear not only to his family, but to his community as well. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Your grit and heart, Officer Cook, were taken from you in an undeserved manner, at least those officers and friends who either worked or knew you can keep alive your most giving spirit and infectious laughter.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
Let us, then be up and doing, with a heart for any fate. this is the message that is always imparted to all police officers. To be aware and look alive in the sense of imminent dangers that are out there lurking. You fulfilled the mission that you chose, Officer Cook and did it without any qualms or reservations. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
The heart of the fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is in his heart. You knew when to speak, Officer Cook and you knew, and so did the citizens where you were coming from. Your constant compassion and sensitivity toward others will always be valued and your memory always will part with us for generations to come. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
The heart asks pleasure first, and then, excuse from pain; and then, those little anodynes that deaden suffering. And then go to sleep; and then, if it should be the will of its Inquisitor, the liberty to die. You were our hero, proudly wearing the uniform of the Metro-Dade Police Department, Officer Cook and you answered the bell so to speak every time it rang. It's appalling what police officers are subjected to on a daily basis, but these are the risks and rewards for the excellent work they accept as part of their sacred lived. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
The sun and stars that float in the open air, the apple-shaped earth and we upon it, surely drift of them is something grand, I do not know what it is except that it is grand and that is happiness. Next time we take an apple to eat, we should make a blessing and look up the heavens above, Officer Cook and see you nodding your head in approval of our manners. Your humility speaks volumes of how to compose oneself daily. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Your soul is floating among the constellations that are always above and you are assisting in keeping darkness an devil away from our midst.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
There is that in me-I do not know what it is- but I know it is in me....I do not know it-it is without name-it is a word unsaid, it is not in any dictionary, utterance, symbol....Do you see O my brothers and sisters? It is not chaos or death-it is form, union, plan-it is eternal life-it is happiness. After serving with loyalty for six years in Dade County, Officer Cook, now you can rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero and be happy for our joys and the things you served those to enable to achieve. I did not know you, how sad, but those you knew and those you loved will forever revere your name and your legacy is now etched in the Honor Roll of Public Servants-police officers who served in Dade County to one day look back and marvel at a true man of character and the consummate professional.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
Happiness is desired by all people; and moments of it are probably attained by most people. Only moments of it can be attained because happiness is the inner concomitant of neat harmonies of body, spirit and society; and these neat harmonies are bound to be infrequent. Officers need to be in unison and harmony if they are are going to successful as you were, Officer Cook. The wear and tear and the rigors of everyday police work can mentally and physically take a toll if not adjusted by the officer. You adapted well to your profession and served with passion. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
June 19, 2013
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