Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits and humbly to implore His protection and favor. If such talents as I possess have been called into action by great events and those events have terminated happily for our country, the glory should be ascribed to the manifest interposition of an overruling providence. It's our sacred duty to honor all law enforcement officers who not only live to retire and do whatever they choose to do, but to give even more honor and tribute to those brave men and women who were forced into an early retirement by the wickedness that still seems to be one of society's ailments. Your ledger, Officer Cook, will always be full of loving accomplishments, a life well lived and dedicated to the pursuits of happiness, peace prosperity and unity magnified. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 21, 2014

The instinct of domination is a weed that grows rank in the shadow of the sanctuary, climbs over it, possesses it, covers its ruin and feeds on its decay. The unchecked sway of clergy has always been the most mischievous of human tyrannies; and even were they all well-meaning and sincere, it would be so still. There are those who thrive on dominating and taking advantage of the less fortunate and this is why we need dedicated and devoted police officers such as yourself, Officer Cook, who each and everyday displayed the proper discipline to ensure that the integrity of your position would be adhered to. You were a man of principle who spoke to others as though you were speaking with God and His attributes were those that successfully guided your life and career and why you took life seriously and reverently. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 21, 2014

To the mind of the Puritan, heaven was God's throne; but no less was the earth. His footstool: and each in its degree and kind had its demand on man. He held it a duty to labor and to multiply; and building on the Bible, whether it was the Old or the New Testament quite as much as on the New, thought that a reward on earth as was in heaven awaited those who were faithful to the law....On the other hand, those who shaped the character and in great measure the destiny of this world had always on their lips the nothingness and the vanity of life. For them, time was nothing but a preparation for eternity and the highest virtue consisted in a renunciation of all the cares, toils and interests of earth. Heaven and earth were why we are here and that is to perform good deeds, something you always expounded on, Officer Cook. Practice what you preach, respect all people for who they are regardless of their authority. Your time here on earth my neighbor, friend and hero was the epitome of virtual trust and your personal and professional character only reinforces why Our Creator has you guarded for safekeeping in His eternal shelter. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 21, 2014

Religion without joy-it is no religion. The same could be said if one works but does not really enjoy their position, try and find something you like. You thoroughly enjoyed your work, Officer Cook, I can personally say that you would not have traded places with anyone else. You were not just an ordinary guy, an ordinary police officer, the specialty of your demeanor, your stellar character has and will always go forever in determining how your heroic act will be remembered and you'll never be forgotten. You loved life, you treasured the great outdoors, you cherished your moments, all very special indeed with Karen, your loving and caring family, intimate friends and personal comrades who always have remembered you being there to have their backs so to speak. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 21, 2014

The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties and the greatest miseries that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion. It has been the most dishonorable belief against the character of the Divinity, the most destructive to morality and the peace and happiness of man, that ever was propagated since man began to exist. The person who carried out a most heinous action that took your life, Officer Cook and nearly that of your other colleagues should have sought help from someone, a doctor, his family, friends, just go and try and seek someone out. taking a life is the most horrid incident that still befalls the world. It is a crying shame your life had to end at such a young age, but your sacrifice will forever be the hallmark of a very blessed and a most fortunate life of someone raised with a morals and scruples. We should all emulate your character. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 20, 2014

I believe in one God and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice; loving mercy and endeavoring to make our creatures happy. You believed along with Karen, Officer Cook, in one God who is indivisible with liberty and justice for all something with which you faithfully carried out for six inspiring years. Your family was your rock of support and backed you in all your efforts and in your achievements. You loved everyone and we know Our Creator has your loving soul encircled by other loving souls who made the ultimate sacrifice as your made. Fearlessly and a doer without any reservations in protecting and serving the public. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 20, 2014

My country is the world and my religion is to do good. Every religion is good that teaches man to be good; and I know of none that instructs him to be bad. Religion is supposed to teach us to respect all people. Officer Cook, you were a devout individual in faith, in integrity and in honesty, traits that all police officers should occupy themselves with when dealing with both public and in private matters. You were a sincerely honorable gentleman who fortified all people with your goodness and humility. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 20, 2014

What shall the world do with its children? There are lives of the executives who know nothing of...The other world is like a thorn in the ear of a tiny beast. We work in all different climates and work environments. The environments are themselves a hotbed of institutionalized workaholics. People like to incorporate their work with their family life. People want to be treated in a most humane and respectful fashion. Karen and yourself, Officer Cook, two wonderfully hard-working and honest people who were truly meant to be mates for life gave your every ounce of effort to treat each living being accordingly. The stress of your professions served as God's test to see how you would weather any turmoil and you achieved greatly in this endeavor. You are truly missed by all and your heroism will always be a large part of your loving family's fabric. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. You were a child who was meant to inherit a very special gift from God and now you have taken that gift up to heaven to instill that in all others.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 19, 2014

Nothing is more terrible than ignorance in action. Compulsion is a manifestation of addiction.We get involved in change for the sake of change; newness carries authority and we're rarely informed enough to make decisions based on information. Sometimes not being too smart causes us to be more decisive. For all your maturity beyond your years, Officer Cook, you just took your level of knowledge and comprehension to a higher level enabling other officers working under your charge to become more enhanced and much more likely to get into a jam that they may not be able to wiggle out from. Why can't more officers today emulate your career paths and accept upon themselves the onus of responsibility that their official positions entail? You certainly were a cut above the rest in humility and in taking charge of disputes that arose in which your intellect was called upon to dictate a positive resolution. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 19, 2014

The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success. What a nightmare success can spawn. especially for those of us addicted to it. All your successes and achievements, Officer Cook, are not just momentary. Your brave actions on May 16, 1979, are now legendary and for all future police officers within your department to stand up and take notice. This is how one carries out their profession in an unassuming manner, with the dignity, integrity and humbleness all vital to the accomplishments of all officers who come to their workplace and endeavor to bring their communities together in unity and peace. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 19, 2014

It is said to begin with the father. Our dads in most cases are our first models of behavior. I agree with this, though both mother and father share in the awesome responsibility of raising their children with a value system and for their children to grow up emulating their good qualities. Your loving father, Charles, may he too rest in peace, Officer Cook, raised both you and your sister, Nancy with expectations and you both met them well beyond the norm. Your dad was a veteran with the military and all that both he and your mother, Mrs. Julia Cook, instilled in you was never misplaced or done in a manner that would cause shame to your family. You were your family's pride and joy and hero forever always remaining in the hearts and minds of those who respected your humbleness and humility in which your carried out your profession. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 15, 2014

You no longer spend your life hurrying around the corner for something which is never there. Work junkies are marathon runners. The act of work itself elevates our images. We try to pace ourselves, but sometimes we get carried away with outside distractions. You performed your job each day, Officer Cook, as if it were your first day on the job and gave only your best efforts. Breathless, emotionless and fearful were not vocabulary words that described your character, rather, commendable, reliable and outstanding. You faced dangers squarely in the eye and were not daunted to meet them and to defeat the wickedness of that day of May 16, 1979, in which you gave your life and the lives of your comrades were nearly lost as well. Thanks to your heroism Dade County streets will always be a little bit safer and its residents can breathe much more easier. A sacrifice never to be forgotten, that is for certain. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 15, 2014

When I grow up I want to be a little boy. Since you were a young man, Officer Cook, you dreamed of becoming a police officer and through your devotion and dedication you witnessed the fruits of your labor reach the level of succession. Your childhood was one of nurturing and having many friends with which to reach out to. Your sacrifice allowed those citizens in Dade County to further enhance their lives. Those who knew, loved and respected you will always feel the pain of your loss and this is only natural. The light of your soul stills illuminates through our world. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 13, 2014

He that would govern others, first should be Master of himself. Workaholics are perfectionists. Perfectionism is a disease in and of itself, but when you dictate perfectionism it can only lead to destruction. Flexibility with oneself and with others leads to maximum effectiveness. If your role is that of a leader, you must be tolerant of mistakes, of uneven performances, of demands not met. First of all, police work does not tolerate mistakes on a constant basis, not just because they are bad for the morale of the department, but because they can lead officers into dangerous situations where loss of life is always possible, God forbid. And Officer Cook, you always made sure of your circumstances and had a plan of action to match whatever scenario you were dispatched to. A certain allowance can be made for certain dilemmas, but usually not too many are afforded for obvious reasons. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 12, 2014

Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. Thank God, Officer Cook, despair never set in for all that you endeavored to become. One has to set certain goals, at least to attempt to challenge that for which we were created for. Your profession demands high standards and anything less would be deemed unsuccessful. You gave your all, loved much and were very much well loved. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. If despair ever set in, you let devotion, desire and dedication eliminate any doubts on whether you would succeed or not.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 12, 2014

Whose life is it, anyway? When we are at our workaholic worst, we forget we have any choices. We shield ourselves behind routine, we take perverse pride in the prisons we've created, but we claim that "life" has dealt us an unbearable, impossible hand. We hide behind the mountain of tasks we have created. Today, we might say I'll see my work load for what it is-a self created monster that has made the word choice obsolete in my language. Officer Cook, you lead a bright life, humbled by accomplishments too many to name. You were a leader who took other officers under your wings to advice and regardless of the arduous tasks that lied ahead you were fearless and strong in your convictions in bringing law and order together, so that peace and prosperity would tie together. This knot will never be untied and the bonds of your legacy will forever remain etched in our minds. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Your life, police officers and their lives with their families supporting their efforts must never be abridged nor compromised by the evil which still lingers in our society.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 12, 2014

Beware of a desperate person who offers you his shirt. Often people are well in their intentions, but cannot possibly deliver what they promise. It is unwise for us to offer too much and then, time after time, fail, not only those to whom we give our promise, but finally failing ourselves. On the other hand, you, Officer Cook, you delivered on the oath that you solemnly took and brought unwavering and an uncompromising style and effort to your profession. Failure is not a word that defines some of us, it surely never ever defined your life or career or your unselfish bravery that you wore on your chest when you badge was pinned on you. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. It was a shame that young man was so desperate to try and undermine the Metro-Dade Police Department by taking your life and nearly those of your esteemed colleagues. Your life and career will certainly go down as very determined and essential in what you displayed on a daily basis to bring forth peace and unity in your community.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 11, 2014

If I would be a young man again and had to decide how to make a living, I would not try to become a scientist, scholar or teacher. I would rather choose to be a plumber or peddler in the hope to find that modest degree of independence still available under present circumstances. In making our lives simpler, more focused, we set ourselves free and give ourselves more than a meaning of independence. We all strive for that comfort level of freedom as our identity. Officer Cook, this was how you lived your life and performed your job on a daily basis. A young man who was not yet in your prime you deserved to still be with us, but only Our Creator knows the real answer and one day your loved family members will see you again. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero, keep watching over us and helping those on this earth to protect and serve as you did with an unlimited amount of resolve, desire, dedication and proper dignity.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 11, 2014

One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man. Even as we live in a world now of modern technologies, the minds of men who helped create the "great machines" are the essence. But nothing can be finer than brave men and women like yourself, Officer Cook, who are subjected to ridicule, abuse, both physically and mentally and the stress not to mention that accompanies you to your profession on a daily basis, you stand in there and try to keep law and order, peace and unity in your community, risking bodily harm in doing so to promote these freedoms that we sometimes take for granted. To soothe a crying baby, alleviate one's fears, feed hungry people, more importantly give warmth to a cold, lost, angry heart. Yes, you did this on marvelous scale for six committed years of service and now we should pause and reflect on your humility and humble genius. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. You truly were a flag bearer for your department and the pride of the Central Division.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 10, 2014

We should all do what in the long run gives us joy, even if it is picking grapes or sorting the laundry. I'm sure, Officer Cook, you helped your beloved wife, Karen, in certain household chores. Power, wealth, they are nice for some people who crave these type of materialistic things, but it was being independent, alone in your own thoughts and the peace with which you earnestly delivered to Dade County residents on a daily basis that should never be overlooked. The one thing and a most important thing would have been to be able to start a family. As I've said many times, both you and Karen would have made excellent parents because of the way you both were raised, with honor, a sense of pride and dignity. You always from what I've been told brought only honor and joy to your loving parents. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 10, 2014

I think knowing what you can not do is more important than knowing what you can do. You made an inventory of all your actions, Officer Cook and your strengths lied in your soothing and calming manner in solving and in resolving domestic disputes among the citizens in Dade County. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 10, 2014

I myself believe that the evidence for God lies primarily in inner personal experiences. And no man has the right to abandon the care of his salvation to another. You placed all your personal experiences and any achievements solely in the palms of God's hands and now because you placed your community's salvation above your own safety as a duly reliable police officer, Officer Cook, God has you sheltered now and for eternity in His House of salvation. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 8, 2014

The pivot round which the religious life, as we have traced it, revolves, is the interest of the individual in his private personal destiny. Religion, in short, is a monumental chapter in the history of human egotism. Your destiny, your purpose in life, Officer Cook, has been chronicled for the ages and though your life was cut tragically short, you will be remembered forever as a mover and shaker whose extremely positive and outgoing personality led to all your successes in whatever you endeavored to accomplish. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. There were no egos or personal agendas in your search for truth and justice ever.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 8, 2014

Religion, whatever it is, is a person's total reaction upon life. And the highest flights of charity, devotion, trust, patience, bravery to which the wings of human nature have spread themselves and have been flown for religious ideals. Your faith, Officer Cook, allowed both you and your beloved wife, Karen to spread the ideals of everything mentioned above to all your friends with a renounced spirit and good cheer. May God spread His wings over you and allow your soul to fly to the highest of heights. For acting as our shield of defense, may the light of your giving soul perpetually illuminate the entire universe with peace and goodwill as we begin the New Year of 2014. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 8, 2014

The prophet has drunk more deeply than anyone of the cup of bitterness, but his countenance is so unshaken and he speaks such mighty words of cheer that his will becomes our will and our life is kindled at his own. Never bitterness, never a complaint, you handled your official business, Officer Cook, with total professionalism and the concentration making our lives safer and to be sure you will never be forgotten for your sincerity and matter of good nature spirit. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. You can drink from God's eternal cup of greatness for humbly assisting all who needed help.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

January 8, 2014