The Reverend James Robert Cooke Sr.

The Reverend James "Jim" Robert Cooke, Sr. went to be with the Lord on October 27, 2026, at the "seasoned" age of 95. For 94 of those years, he stayed on the move, traveling across the country, driving all over the city, and enjoying his friends and family. Shortly after turning 95, his body decided his youthful spirit was too much to keep up with and began to wind down. When he talked about the end of his life, he said, "I've had a good run." His humor stayed intact until his body had nothing left to give.

Jim was born January 2, 1931, in the small town of Hamlet, North Carolina, to James and Nancy Cooke. An only child, he moved often because of his father's profession, but always seemed to wind his way back to Hamlet until the family settled in Norfolk, Virginia. He graduated from Maury High School in 1950, where he was a competitive wrestler and ran track. He made lifelong friends during those years, and more than fifty years later, he would marry one of them.

Jim served four years in the U.S. Air Force, including a posting in Alaska that became one of his favorite places. He returned to visit almost every summer. After his discharge, he went back to Norfolk and became involved with Colonial Avenue United Methodist Church, where he felt his calling to ministry. 1960 was a busy year for Jim. He earned his Master of Divinity from Emory University's Candler School of Theology, began his ministry as an associate at Epworth United Methodist Church in Portsmouth, and had a wedding to plan.

On December 17, 1960, Jim married Patricia Young Cooke. He had recently bought a plane and planned to fly his bride to Nassau for their honeymoon. He didn't have his full pilot's license yet, so a licensed pilot came along as an uninvited honeymoon guest. When an engine started to fail, the three of them landed in Bimini instead. Patricia never really wanted to fly anywhere again after that. They shared 44 years of marriage until her passing on April 21, 2005. After Patricia's passing, he reconnected with Elizabeth Schultz, a friend from his Norfolk high school days, and they were officially married in the spring of 2006. They shared more than 20 years together.

Jim's ministry also took him to Virginia Tech, where he served as campus minister, and to congregations across the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, from Bassett to Winchester to West Point to Staunton. He retired in Charlottesville in 1995 after 35 years of ministry.

Jim was often seen with a smile, and with that smile came a twinkle in his eye. How he managed to marry not one but two wonderfully devoted wives surely had something to do with it. That twinkle also made him a natural Santa, a role he loved and played for many years at a recreation center in Virginia Beach, where likely hundreds of children have their picture with him.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his son, James R. "Jimmy" Cooke Jr. (Angie); his daughter, Sarah S. Cooke (Kendall); and his beloved grandchildren, Spencer, Patrick, Grace, and Eva, who knew him as "Papa." He also leaves behind Elizabeth's children, whom he loved dearly, Beth (Jeff), Karen, and Ernie, and their children: Justin, Andy (Sophia), Liz (Brian), and Mike (Stevie). He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Nancy Cooke, and his first wife, Patricia.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Woody Funeral Home, 1771 Parham Road. The Reverend Christy Haga Turner, who was a youth in Jim's congregation in West Point, will preside. The family will receive guests at a reception following the service at the same location.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to the Virginia United Methodist Foundation ( vaumfoundation.org ).