Cole Brian Rourke

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Cole Rourke was born on December 19, 2002, and passed away peacefully on September 11, 2024, after a lengthy battle with an illness. Despite his diagnosis in 2016, he lived a full and happy life. He always made the best out of whatever circumstances he faced. He did this quietly and almost never complained. He did not dwell on setbacks. Instead, he adapted and moved forward. He did this too many times to count through the years. Cole valued people and relationships. He loved to engage in conversation, and he was a good listener. At a gathering you might find him getting into conversations with a young child, or an elderly lady, and everything in between. He liked to learn about people and hear what they had to say. He was talented, intelligent, and competitive. He liked basketball, baseball, football, and several other sports, but his favorite was running cross country for his school. When his health allowed, he ran excellent times and was proud to be an important part of a West Feliciana team that was routinely one of the best in the state in their class. Cole loved to laugh. It was not unusual for him to laugh uncontrollably at something he found funny, especially with his close friends. It did not matter to him if he was in school, or church, or in a library. If he started laughing like that, he could not stop, and it was contagious. He enjoyed the little things. Something as small as enjoying his favorite meal, or hearing a funny joke, or winning a game of some kind might prompt him to say one of his favorite phrases - “What a great day.” Circumstances around him never stopped him from enjoying the little things. He was an optimist and a fighter, always. There was also a side of Cole that was more thoughtful and serious that was not always on display. If you were one of his close friends or family, you might discuss deeper subjects like God and the meaning of life for hours on end. He was a Christian. He believed in God and strove to live with Christian values. It seemed that as his situation worsened these values strengthened. He became more patient, more loving, and more kind. Cole loved his brothers, Tyler and Landon. He challenged them quite a bit in the early years, like big brothers sometimes do. Their relationship developed into a strong bond over time. Cole would count his brothers as some of his best friends. He is survived by his parents, Brian and Melissa; brothers, Tyler and Landon; grandparents, Mike and Marie; and his aunts, Kelley and Christi. He is preceded in death by his uncle, Jordy. The family would like to thank his entire care team at St. Jude. Please consider donating at stjude.org/donate. Visitation will be at First Baptist Church of St. Francisville, 12404 LA 10, St. Francisville, LA, on Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 12pm until the time of funeral services at 2pm. Burial will immediately follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park in Baton Rouge, LA. Pall bearers are Tyler Rourke, Landon Rourke, Wyatt Barbe, Bennett Clement, Braden Corkern, Brett Dillon, Reid Fournet, Kyle Gibbons, Julian Horn, Toby Martin, Brady Trisler, and Ashton Verdicanno. Family and friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.greenoaksfunerals.com