Douglas Lloyd Cook

He was born Douglas Lloyd Cook, the first time. After he was born again as a Christian man, called him, Diego, because it suited him more. He loved it. You can differentiate our friends from his old life and our new life by whether they call him Doug or Diego but make no mistake whether they call him Doug or Diego - they love him dearly. Doug made use of his talents in many ways. In college, he was a DJ for a Jazz music station. That golden voice the Lord gifted him with was perfect for a role like that, and he loved the music! He also earned money for college as a professional photographer. He generally photographed weddings, and his eye for the creative made him a popular choice among those who knew his work. Doug was blessed with two fine boys: Colin and Evan. They were a source of great pride and much happiness. They are both strong family men, having joined their lives with Pam and Renee, respectively. But the greatest delight in his life were Colin's children, Carson and Camryn, and Evan's children, Amelia and Ava. We praved together for them daily, asking God's blessings over their lives with the unrelenting hope that they would grow to love their Savior Jesus Christ, and commit their lives to Him, who is sovereign over all creation. Doug's brother Vincent and his wife Gaylene have stayed close through the years and it meant the world to him. Vince was one of the few people who made Doug look small in stature. He's a big teddy bear of a man with a huge heart and Doug loved Vince and Gaylene as only a big brother can. He loved and was loved so much by the Araujo side of the family. The brothers he found there and the sisters-most especially the nieces and nephews. He was so anxious to get to know the youngest generation! Asked to teach a course in lighting for television at San Diego City College, Doug discovered there was no textbook so he created one. For years while he was there, the students learned from his book, and personal technical and practical knowledge gained on the job at channel 10 in San Diego at Channel 10 (KOGO and later KGTV) he did floor directing of local news programs. He created graphics for local and national news broadcasts and he designed and built sets for the station's local and national political campaign coverage. He was associated with NBC Sports for 20 years, covering all the major NFL football game's live television broadcasts for the San Diego Chargers. He was part of the technical crew for six Super Bowls. Diego was a talented artist, gifted with oils, chalk, watercolor, pen and ink, and computer program graphic design. He owned his own business, creating unique sales graphics for businesses as diverse as pet products to specialty kits for Corvettes. His business, Design Works, would later become Five Talents, Inc., where together we created Christian-related products to promote the Holy Scriptures, spread the good word of the gospel of Christ and further the work of God's kingdom. When we left California and moved to Austin he taught in both public and private schools. He was first hired to team teach computer science/genera curriculum in a remedial classroom of 40 students in a rural area in Travis County. The storefront school didn't even have a name. And it had three working computers the first week of school. By the end of the sixth week of school, Mr. Cook and his team colleague had pulled together bits and pieces of discarded computers from the

Central school warehouse, and with our own resources purchased keyboards, pads, cables, computer mouses, stands, notebooks, and even software. The school with no name had doubled its computer inventory. And the students had doubled their enthusiasm about learning. If they did well in their other courses, they were allowed to spend time on the computer during the week “just like at a regular school" and 30 minutes just for fun - only at Mr. Cook's school.

At the end of the year we bought a bicycle, cassette players, radios, and various other electronic gifts for students who had improved most Mr. Cook got good-bye notes from his students that could make you weep. But the note that truly made us weep was the one he received the day of our End of School party from the school district. Since he was not accredited to teach in Texas schools, (in spite of a master's degree in education and experience at the college level), they could not continue his contract. The school with no name no longer had a computer teacher. His colleague and friend, Raul, called later to tell Diego that he would be on his own the following fall with a 40- student class load. That summer, however, despite lack of proper accreditation, the school district asked Diego to teach classes to incarcerated students, which he gladly did I have no proof of this, but in his conversations with the guard in the jail classroom, I believe he pointed the man back to Christ. We all know Diego suffered from excruciating back pain for many years. It was the result of an injury at work and degenerative disc disease. He endured three separate major back surgeries. Eventually that pain and that degeneration put him in a wheelchair. Many people prayed for his pain to be relieved, no one more than me. Mostly he was able to see it as the thorn that daily taught him about God's great sufficiency. I loved Diego so much I could not let his pain become the defining factor in our life together. For as long as possible, we went to church, we ate out with friends, we enjoyed going on drives around the Hill Country of Central Texas; we participated in ministry and he went as often as possible to the gun range. When the pain became too much, we stayed at home; often I did not leave the house for a week at a time. We watched our church services on television. I became an enthusiastic NASCAR fan with my own favorite drivers. I am an ardent supporter of the Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl Sunday has become a big day for me Did you know that Patrick Mahomes played football for Texas Tech? Diego Cook considered me, Lucy Cook, his wife, his first ministry. He was always kind, considerate, appreciative, loving and thoughtful. In 23 years of marriage, he never raised his voice to me. He never criticized me for anything I said, or did.

After I was in the train accident, he took care of me diligently and tenderly. He made my food. He washed our clothes. He kept our house tidy. Throughout the years I have watched him interact with people, mostly young people, telling them about the goodness of God, and the promises that Jesus made to us. He loved sharing the gospel message. He could spend 20 minutes with a young man who was selling him shoes and come away knowing and praying for all the young man's aspirations. Urging him to trust God for all. He especially loved to share the witness of his life with the young people who carried our groceries to the car the barber who cut his hair, the busboy who cleared our table, the young girl at the donut shop, the lady at the cleaners, the medical people who attended him throughout the years. He gave the lady who cleaned his hospital room tips on how to study for her community college finals. She told me that the most important thing she learned from him was to call on Jesus when she was afraid she would fail. Some people are born to parents of faith and never know a day without Jesus. Some answer an alter call when they are seven or 14 or 20 years old. Diego answered an altar call when he was in his 50s and dedicated the rest of his life to Jesus Christ. Before he was born, the Lord knew that this godly man would ultimately serve Him well. You see, it may not matter if you are seven or 14 or 20, or if you are in your 50s. Our Lord is patient and loving. He will meet you where you are. He will stand at your door and knock and wait. What matters most is that you open the door of your heart, invite Him in and let Him dwell with you that you might dwell in His house forever as my precious husband does now.

Blessings,

Lucy Cook

John 14:2-6 NKJV

In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.