Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Happiness, like every other emotional state, has blindness and insensibility to opposing facts given it as its instinctive weapon for self-protection against disturbance. You had emotions, Officer Cook and I'm sure there were times you preferred not to have to resort to discharging your weapon. Sometimes, circumstances alter they way we have to face a dilemma. Officers such as yourself have to evaluate and anticipate what might transpire and are not always given a sufficient amount of time to act. But we do know your faithfulness will never come into question. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

Perhaps there is no happiness in life so perfect as the martyr's. Happiness is a habit-cultivate it. This is the only good, reason the only torch, justice the only worship, humanity the only religion and love the only priest. Your life, Officer Cook and the way you went about your business privately and publicly as an officer says a lot and offers each of us a profound lesson in how to live each moment, not knowing when the end will come. Serving God with favor and grace. The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet and yours my neighbor, friend and hero were firmly planted on the ground. Rest in peace. Your memory will never depart from our beings.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit and it leads us to a wild goose chase an dis never attained. Follow some other object and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it. You found happiness, Officer Cook, when you met and married a very loving and devoted woman in Karen. You found serenity in the simpler pleasures of life. Your police work meant the world to you and giving up your life for a just cause, peace and unity in your community says a lot about your class of character with honor and grace. After you passed, it says plenty of Karen's character in that she dedicated and donated a stained glass window to the Visitation Catholic Church where you prayed together in your memory. I'll have to take a look at the window and I'll probably breakdown and cry. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

Happiness lies first of all, in health. The best way to secure future happiness is to be as happy as is rightfully possible today. It means quiet nerves. You were serene and happy, Officer Cook, each day with Karen and content in your faith to be able to go out into the community you dearly loved to serve and to protect us. Now that you are resting in peace my neighbor, friend and hero and are not suffering, we ask that your soul pray for those who still mourn and suffer greatly over your tragic loss. Bring comfort to them and allow them to fulfill as you faithfully fulfilled along with Karen, Our Creator's wishes.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

To stand upon the ramparts and die for our principles is heroic, but to sally forth to battle and win for our principles is something more than heroic. You were a man of vision, Officer Cook. An officer of valor who looked to make difference in how we live our lives and for twenty-five years you constantly strove to do this. It was implanted within your loving soul and now as you rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero, you can help God do this to all others and the officers who bear the awesome burden of constantly serving and protecting our honor and dignities.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

Great truths are portions of the soul of man; great souls are portions of eternity. If any man seeks greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth and he will find both. We know where your loving soul can be forever located, Officer Cook. Because of your righteousness and loving kindness to all, we can call on God and He will reveal where he is always going to protect you. The portion you now receive in the next world is more important because of what you did for us in this world by looking and serving our interests with honor, integrity and grace when called upon. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. When your Inspector's Funeral procession passed by the cathedral, some people applauded you and most others offered you a sincere final salute for your bravery. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death-this heroism. You were fearless and flawless in your pursuits of good tackling evil, Officer Cook. Those civilians who attempted to assist you that day were doing so with the very best of intentions as you my neighbor, friend and hero did so valiantly, answering a call you were not required to. This shows me your true character and the zest by which your took on the challenges of your profession. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

It is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness; and I pronounce it as certain that there was never yet a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous. Officer Cook, you joined the ranks of truly wonderful and humane heroes and heroines of law enforcement and in military service who gave their lives or a cause. The world we exist in has plenty of both heroes and heroines and they need more people like you willing to tackle a cause and keep serving and protecting it forevermore. Great men and women, the heroes and heroines are rarely isolated mountain peaks; they are the summits of ranges. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero as you reside at the top of God's enchanted mountain overlooking this vast land where good shall one day conquer evil.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

The measure of a master is his success in bringing all men round to his opinion twenty years later. When divine souls appear, men are compelled by their own self-respect to distinguish them. Thirty-four years later, our opinions and the facts of your distinguished career, Officer Cook are there to be shared and gleamed by anyone who wants to research them. You gave your life for Dade County and won't soon be forgotten. You were a hero through and through and an oracle to everybody. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

When nature removes a great man, people explore the horizon for a successor; but none comes and none will. His class is extinguished with him. In some other and quite different field, the next man will appear. Police officers can be replaced by others if terminated, but obviously when they are lost in the line of duty, one can only imagine the pain and anger felt by their department and the entire nation. Your loss, Officer Cook, still befuddles us and the why part will always be there to ponder God's reasons behind such tragedies. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. I will always endeavor to honor your memory by doing good deeds as you performed in this world. As stated before, if you save one life, you have saved an entire universe. One officer lost in the line of duty and it's an entire nation that bears the suffering.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

Works of the intellect are great only by comparison with each other. I count him a great man who inhabits a higher sphere of thought, into which other men rise with labor and difficulty; he has but to open his eyes to see things in a true light and in large relations, while they must make painful corrections and keep a vigilant eye on many sources of error. Indeed, Officer Cook, men and women like you have to be aware of their environment at all times and be sure of their commitment forgoing their beings when called upon to do this. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great. You were brought up, Officer Cook, humbly and by very loving and caring parents who simply wanted what was in both Nancy's and in your best interests. You became something wonderful to our nation and to modern society, by working very hard to be a dedicated police officer. We need you to watch over us as those officers who followed in your footsteps continue waging war in an effort to bring peace to this universe. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

It will never make any difference to a hero what the laws are. His greatness will shine and accomplish itself unto the end, whether they second him or not. There do not need to be any seconds, thirds, or etc. You, Officer Cook, as a skillful and highly trained police officer did what you could within the parameters of the law to stop a dispute that escalated beyond the bounds of normalcy. You took charge and your heroic actions saved the day for your comrades and those three civilians wounded by a mad man. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. All of us in this community thank you for being the humble and devoted servant you were.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

There is somewhat in great actions which does not allow us to go behind them. Heroism feels and never reasons and therefore is always right; and although a different breeding, different religion and greater intellectual activity would have modified or even reversed the particular action, yet for the hero that thing he does is the highest deed and is not open to the censure of philosophers or divines. Whenever a police officer such as yourself, Officer Cook, places their life on the line we all know that act is the most sacred thing a person of your position can achieve and we the community can never be grateful enough for your extreme valor. There is a saying in the Oral Law, it is called the Talmud and this explains the Old Testament, called the Torah. It states if one person saves one life, he has saved an entire universe. My neighbor, friend and hero, you sir did your job in a most commendable manner and are to be always saluted. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

It is important not to confuse stability with force, or the greatness of a thing with its duration. In democratic republics the power that directs society is not stable, for it often changes hands and assumes a new direction. But whichever way it turns, its force is almost irresistible. Police officers sometimes need to use force deadly or otherwise to qwell a particular event, that is why, Officer Cook, you were flawless in your performance of duty and making wise decisions to bring a problem to a peaceful conclusion. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Your stability catapaulted you to greatness during your career,

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 19, 2013

The greatest man is he who chooses the right with invincible resolution, who resists the sorest temptations from within and without, who bears the heaviest burdens cheerfully, who is calmest in storms and most fearless under menace and frowns, whose reliance on truth, on virtue, on God, is most unfaltering. This was also your mantra in life, Officer Cook, to act calm, cool and collected and not let temptation grab hold of you as it has done to so many other officers. We all know police work has its challenges and it is up to the officer to resist them that allows them to get the job done properly the first time out. Succeeding and survival depend on an officer's attitude. That is why they go through a rigorous training program at the police academy, it helps to weed out those men and women who are both not physically or mentally cut out for the profession. You desired my neighbor, friend and hero to do the job correctly and with a zeal and enthusiasm to match. You achieved on both of these fronts. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

Greatness, after all, in spite of its name, appears to be not so much a certain size as a certain quality in human lives. It may be present in lives whose range is very small. and the essence of greatness itself is that there is a perception that virtue is enough. Your name, Officer Cook as listed in Metro-Dade Police Department's Roll of Honor indicates to us the citizens and community at large of how well you performed your assignments and the fact that you accepted even greater tasks that were always accompanied with the risks of harm that may have followed behind them. But, nonetheless, you were a brave officer to put all of that in the way and save the lives of seven persons on May 16, 1979. Your comrades all remembered and appreciated the fact of your answering a call you were not mandated to go to. Your resolve was steadfast and your valor superb in spite of the seriousness of the problem confronting you and your fellow officers that day. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

To the free man, the country is the collection of individuals who compose it, not something over and above them. He is proud of a common heritage and loyal to common traditions. But he regards government as a means, an instrumentality, neither a grantor of favors and gifts, nor a master of God to be blindly worshiped and served. He recognizes no national goal except as it is the consensus of the goals the citizens severally serve. He recognizes no national purpose except as it is the consensus of the purposes for which the citizens severally strive. You endeavored for quality each day on the job, Officer Cook and that is why after making a difference and the sacrifice needed for others to carry on that you are always going to be honored and treasured as a true patriot for Dade County residents. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

June 18, 2013

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