Donald E. Cook

It is with peace and love that the family of Donald Edwin Cook, born February 3, 1931, in Bono, Arkansas, announces his serene passing on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at the age of 89 years. Donald (Don) is lovingly remembered by the love of his life and best friend, his wife of 63 years, Dava Cook.

Don was preceded in death by his father, James Neely Cook, his mother, Nellie Brooks Cook and his sister, Naomi Cook Tatum. Don is survived by his two sons, Steve Cook (Mary Phelps Cook) and David Cook (Mary Bayless Cook). “Daddy Don” also has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Don shaped a colorful life while loving the Lord. After graduating from Bono High School, he continued to work for Craft Mercantile Company, Craft Gin and the Craft Syrup Company. He convinced some of his best friends to go on what he described as a “hobo” trip to Florida where they lived off the land mostly eating oranges. After his trip, he convinced his best friend, Lowell Faught, into going to Arkansas State College where Lowell studied accounting and Don studied business management. After two years of college, he went to Chicago. Jobs were hard to find and he was broke, but he landed a job in the food industry… washing dishes on the night shift, in downtown Chicago. Two meals a day and $35 a week, things were looking up. Early fall of the year, he returned to Bono and Arkansas State College. He graduated with a major in business and a minor in military science as well a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

He completed his artillery training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was immediately ordered to Korea for the Korean Conflict. He was a member of the Fifth Regimental Combat Team, 555th Field Artillery Battalion (105MM), also known as the “Triple Nickel”. After 11 months of combat service, he returned to Fort Lewis, Washington where he learned to snow ski.

Don was released from active duty and returned to Bono. As good friends do, Lowell taught him to water ski. He threw him a rope and said, “Hold on!”. He, Lowell and others went on to form the very first boat club in Bono. Their first engagement was a skiing exhibition for the grand opening of the Cherokee Village Resort in Hardy. They made a big splash…several times.

Lowell introduced Don to his neighbor Dava Barrow, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Don took a job as a traveling salesman selling Pillsbury Flour and Cake Mix, in the Mississippi Delta, from the back of his car. Something was not right. Don found himself being pulled back to Jonesboro and he made his way back as often as he could. He finally realized why – he was in love. Don left the road life and took a job with General Electric Credit Corporation. Dava finally allowed him to marry her!

After Don’s two sons were born, he was presented an opportunity to take a partnership. He and his partner, Bill Burdyshaw formed a trucking company, with one truck, hauling soybeans to President’s Island in Memphis, Tennessee. If they could make money with one truck, then they could make even more with two; and, yes, they bought a third truck. They learned that not only can you make more money with three trucks, but you could lose more too. The company went broke.

As General Electric began promoting Don, he began moving. One of those moves took him to Little Rock, Arkansas as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. The Army Reserve Battalion in Little Rock had an opening for a Battalion S3 Operations Officer and his Commander put him in for a promotion to Major. Sometime after that, Don left the Reserves as a promotable Captain. He declined a promotion with G.E. that required a move to Atlanta and decided to stay in Memphis.

Don decided at age forty, that he wanted to be a Certified Public Accountant. He returned to college at Memphis State University to complete an additional forty-five semester hours, in twelve months, took the three-day test for Certified Public Accounts, passed three of the four parts the first time and passed the forth part the next time. He worked for a local CPA firm for two years and decided he wanted to go out on his own. It was a wonderful experience where he built long-term, loving relationships with many, many people.

During the seventies, Don and Dava joined Central Church. There is where he met Milton Hatcher, the Founding Director of Calvary Rescue Mission. Milton asked Don to become a board member. Don humbly accepted and was an active board member for more than 20 years. Calvary has been open for over 51 years now, sharing Jesus and rebuilding the lives of the homeless men of Memphis.

In 1979, Don and Dava went to the Holy Land, Jordan, and Egypt. They rode the camels, paid the dollar ransom to get off, toured the pyramids, took a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee and walked where Jesus walked. They both always wanted to go back. Before Don could no longer attend church for health reasons, they had joined First Evangelical Church of Memphis.

Don’s love of the Lord, coupled with his gift of servitude, graced him with leading many people to the Lord. Don loved golf all of his life and was a good golfer. He took to making golf clubs in his shop as he neared retirement. He would often walk-on to a public course and be paired with a group by the starter. Sometimes he ended up being paired with much younger men. You can imagine them rolling their eyes at this old man thinking there goes our round. Well, after he began to out drive them and beat the pants off them, he would let them try one of the drivers he made. He sold twelve that year. One time, in a pairing with only one other player, Don shared his love of the Lord, as he often did, and he led that young man to the Lord as they knelt and prayed together right there on the green at the Audubon Park golf course.

If you ever sat and talked with Don and noticed that gleam in his eyes, or that small smile that was always there, well, now you know why...

There will be a private service for Don, with Dava, his sons and their wives, Thursday, April 30. Interment will follow at the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery, Tuesday, May 5. A memorial service, with military honors, will be scheduled later, as restrictions are lifted. All services entrusted to Memphis Funeral Home on Poplar.

It was Don’s wishes, that if desired, a memorial donation be made to Calvary Rescue Mission, 960 S. Third St., Memphis, TN 38106, (901) 775-2570, www.CalvaryRescueMission.org.