Edward J. Cooke, whose Catholic faith provided him with solace and a strong moral compass, had the habit of saying “I’ll see you in the morning, good Lord willing” when he retired to bed each night. After a brief battle with cancer, the Good Lord was no longer willing, and he passed away peacefully at the age of 87 in his home on May 6, 2022. He is survived by Rosemary, love of his life who he was married to for 60 years. They were blessed with four children, Elizabeth, Christopher, Eileen, and Edward as well as eight wonderful grandchildren whom he loved dearly.
A New York native and graduate of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School (1952), Manhattan College (1956), and the Officer Candidate School of the Empire State Military Academy (1959), he served in the National Guard Reserves in the Fighting 69th Infantry of the US Army. He was honorably discharged in February 1967 as a First Lieutenant. Edward served as a large case manager in the Internal Revenue Service, pursuing high-profile cases such as the prosecution of drug kingpin Nicky Barnes. Upon his retirement from the Internal Revenue Service in 1992, he was presented the prestigious Albert Gallatin Award from the Department of Treasury.
The son of Patrick Cooke and Margaret Lynch, Irish immigrants from Ballyjamesduff in County Cavan, Edward was blessed with the gift of gab. He made friends anywhere he went and could often be found at parties deep in conversation, his hand resting gently on his sparring partner’s elbow while colorfully uttering anachronistic phrases like “now listen here, Charlie” and “as the old story goes.” He was an avid reader, frequently sharing favorite passages from the book he was reading or the morning’s paper at the breakfast table. Edward was also an adventurous daredevil and bon vivant with a penchant for roller coasters, international travel, and Rosemary’s excellent cooking along with a nightly Manhattan.
Ed and Rosemary raised their family in Floral Park, NY where Ed was a committed volunteer at Our Lady of Victory Church. For over 15 years he welcomed public school children into their home for evening CCD instruction. He loved summers in Sound Beach, NY where family and friends were always welcome at their summer home. Upon retiring he volunteered as Treasurer for the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.
In 1992, Edward and Rosemary left the snow behind and moved to St. Petersburg, FL. Ed once again became involved and join the Board of their building holding numerous positions including president. In his golden years, he and Rosemary worked tirelessly on behalf of the less fortunate and the Church, volunteering in the soup kitchen and for St. Vincent De Paul for over 20 years. Edward, ever dapper in his spiffy white blazer, was a fixture as an usher for 25 years at St. John Vianney Catholic Church.
Though his health failed him in recent years, his incandescent spirit and boyish sense of humor did not. In his waning months, he still managed to wax poetic about the joys of the birth of his children and spending precious time with his grandchildren.
Edward pursued a life of greatness and of goodness, and he will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to encounter this wonderful gentleman. A Memorial Mass to celebrate Edward’s life will be held on Friday, June 17, 2022, at 11am at St. John Vianney Church, St. Pete Beach, FL. The Mass will be live streamed and accessible via the Church’s website: https://www.stjohnsparish.org/ or via this link: https://stjohnsparish.online.church/ . In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be sent to Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School - https://www.loughlin.org/alumni/ways-to-give or to the St. Francis Conference of St Vincent De Paul, 5416 Leilani Drive, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706.
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