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Our father, William David Cook, Sr. passed away at our Monticello family residence on Friday, August 8, 2014 following a lengthy and courageous battle with prostate cancer. Dad entered this world on Thursday, August 27, 1936. He had a very humble upbringing as a child. During his formative years, he lived in two separate boys homes as a child in Mobile, Alabama; the Catholic Boys Home and the Wilmer Hall Children’s Home. At the age of seventeen, our father joined the United States Air Force and remained there until he retired as a Master Sergeant on September 1, 1974. During his twenty plus year career, our father was stationed in Goose Bay, Labrador, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (twice), Biloxi, Mississippi, Hokkaido, Japan, Alcoy, Spain, Pickstown, South Dakota, King Salmon, Alaska, Orlando, Florida and Homestead, Florida. Dad had over five thousand flying hours while serving our country and retired as his “crew chief” in the EC-121 model Super Constellation Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft . As a Staff Sergeant of the 966th AEW&C Squadron (RE: Gold Digger Missions), he achieved an “Expert” Radar Supervisor status. The prime mission of the 966th was to monitor and track the arrival of U-2 aircraft that frequently flew photograph missions over Cuba. It was these Gold Digger missions that reminds one of the early barnstorming days of flying. These huge Super Constellations flew Gold Digger missions at or near, or lower than fifty feet in altitude creating large rooster tails on the Gulf off the Florida Keys from their prop wash. In addition to his countless letters of appreciation and commendations from his immediate supervisors, he received two Air Force Commendation Medals for his meritorious service, as well as the highly coveted Air Medal for his meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight from November 8, 1969 to July 10, 1973. After retiring from the Air Force, our family moved to Monticello, Arkansas. Our dad later joined, spent twenty years, and then retired from the Arkansas Forestry Commission where he earned the rank of Forest Ranger III. During his time in the forestry commission, he volunteered to be a part of the “search and recovery team” for artifacts for the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in February 2003 in East Texas. Our father was a “workaholic!” He never really retired – a family could not ask for a better provider and a more caring husband and father! Even though he formally retired twice, he also went to Idaho to assist with fighting wildfires, he worked for Doug Grimmett and Dan Estes in performing controlled burns, and he continued to help his sons at our family land in Junction City. We have spent a lot of quality time there conducting controlled burns, planting trees, planting food plots, building deer stands and deer camps, hunting, and riding four-wheelers! About the only thing our father enjoyed more than his children were spending time with his wife, Carolyn, and camping with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mom and Dad were married on August 14, 1958 – they would have been married fifty-six years August 14, 2014! She is absolutely the love of his life!
Our father was preceded in death by his father, Louie Cook, and mother, Flora Shilling-Cook, one brother, LB Cook, two sisters, Flossie Gillespie and Betty Crater, and one son, William “Billy” David Cook, Jr. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Cook, two sons, Jimmy and wife Shirley Cook of Camden, and Louis and wife Karri Cook of Bossier City, Louisiana, and one brother, Julius Cook of Burlington, Vermont. He had four grandchildren; Anna Miller, Will Cook, Jennifer Cook, and Lauren Wiethaupt. He had six great grandchildren, brother and sister in-laws, countless cousins, eight nephews, four nieces, friends and many other cherished loved ones. Visitation for our father will be held Sunday, August 10, 2014 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Chapel. Funeral services for our father will be held at the Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Chapel in Monticello, Arkansas on Monday, August 11, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. Dad will be buried with full military honors. His final resting place will be beside his son, Billy, in the Lone Sassafras Cemetery immediately following the funeral services. Pall Bearers include: Doug Grimmett, Jerry Smith, Doyle Rogers, Mickey Finley, Larry Fisackerly, and Roger Harris. Honorary Pall Bearers include Hugh Harris, Ted Burton, Nate Trauger, Robert Gillespie, Paul Gillespie, and Patrick Cook.
We want to especially thank the Monticello Church of Christ, where he has been an active member, the nursing staff, radiologists, urologists, and oncologists at the Little Rock John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital and the radiology team at UAMS. In lieu of flowers, we are requesting that you consider making a donation to the cancer research foundation of your choice. We look forward to fellowshipping with his friends and family! Gone but never to be forgotten!
Our father was preceded in death by his father, Louie Cook, and mother, Flora Shilling-Cook, one brother, LB Cook, two sisters, Flossie Gillespie and Betty Crater, and one son, William “Billy” David Cook, Jr. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Cook, two sons, Jimmy and wife Shirley Cook of Camden, and Louis and wife Karri Cook of Bossier City, Louisiana, and one brother, Julius Cook of Burlington, Vermont. He had four grandchildren; Anna Miller, Will Cook, Jennifer Cook, and Lauren Wiethaupt. He had six great grandchildren, brother and sister in-laws, countless cousins, eight nephews, four nieces, friends and many other cherished loved ones. Visitation for our father will be held Sunday, August 10, 2014 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Chapel. Funeral services for our father will be held at the Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Chapel in Monticello, Arkansas on Monday, August 11, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. Dad will be buried with full military honors. His final resting place will be beside his son, Billy, in the Lone Sassafras Cemetery immediately following the funeral services. Pall Bearers include: Doug Grimmett, Jerry Smith, Doyle Rogers, Mickey Finley, Larry Fisackerly, and Roger Harris. Honorary Pall Bearers include Hugh Harris, Ted Burton, Nate Trauger, Robert Gillespie, Paul Gillespie, and Patrick Cook.
We want to especially thank the Monticello Church of Christ, where he has been an active member, the nursing staff, radiologists, urologists, and oncologists at the Little Rock John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital and the radiology team at UAMS. In lieu of flowers, we are requesting that you consider making a donation to the cancer research foundation of your choice. We look forward to fellowshipping with his friends and family! Gone but never to be forgotten!