DAVID'S OBITUARY
Trooper Arthur David Cook, Jr., 43, of Halls Mill Road near Hampton, died Monday morning in the Hampton Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Cook was born April 15, 1976 in Allendale County, a son of Annette Smith Belk of Sylvania, Georgia and the late Arthur David Cook, Sr. He was presently serving as a Lance Corporal with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Mr. Cook started his career as a Paramedic, serving with Beaufort County, Allendale County Fire and Rescue, Hampton County Fire Department and Colleton County Fire and Rescue. He was still serving part-time with Hampton and Allendale Counties. He was a former Deputy Coroner with Hampton County and was presently serving since 2011 with the South Carolina Highway Patrol Troop 8. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was a member of the Brunson Baptist Church.
Surviving besides his mother are his son: Hunter Cook and his companion Olivia of Hampton; daughter: Taylor Cook of Hampton; brother: Donald Cook and companion Shauna of Statesboro, Georgia; step-brothers: Patrick Belk and Rodney Belk of Alexander, Georgia; step-sister: Pam Mallard of Alexander, Georgia; paternal grandmother; Sara B. Cook of Fairfax; maternal grandmother: Ethel Malphrus of Hampton; uncle: Bud Smith of Brunson; two aunts: Deborah Thomas of Fairfax and Faye Rowe of North Charleston; and step-father: Francis Belk of Sylvania, Georgia. There is also a best friend: Jason Schroyer of Brunson.
Funeral services will be 2 PM Thursday in Open Arms Fellowship Church in Hampton conducted by Chaplain David A. Tafaoa with burial in the Rivers Cemetery with Honors by the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home of Hampton is assisting the family with arrangements.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM at the Church located at 402 Hoover Street North in Hampton.
The family suggests that those who wish may send memorials to the Rivers Cemetery Association, 4935 Prince William Road, Brunson, SC 29911 in care of Mrs. Dawn Winn.
By Patrick Phillips | June 24, 2019 at 2:29 PM EDT - Updated June 24 at 5:38 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Lowcountry state trooper who also worked as a firefighter and emergency medical technician has died, the South Carolina Highway Patrol says.
Lance Cpl. A. David Cook died Monday after an extended illness, according to a release from the agency.
“This has been a very sad and difficult weekend for SCDPS, the Highway Patrol and Troop Eight specifically,” SCDPS Director Leroy Smith said. “On Saturday, we received news of the death of Trooper First Class Jessie D. Cannon, Troop Eight, K9 Unit. This morning, Col. Williamson and I were notified that we had lost Lance Cpl. Cook after an extended illness.”
Cook joined the Highway Patrol in 2011 and served primarily with Troop Six during his career before joining Troop Eight in 2017. Troop Six covers Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper Counties.
Cook was well known in the Beaufort-Jasper first responder community where he had also served as a firefighter with Fairfax Fire Department, Brunson Fire Department and with Beaufort, Hampton, and Allendale County EMS. Before joining the Highway Patrol, Cook also served as a deputy/officer with Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgeland Police Department and Yemassee Police Department.
Troopers had a chance to join other first responders last week in a procession honoring Cook as he was transferred from MUSC to Hospice Care at Hampton Regional Medical Center.
“The South Carolina Highway Patrol is so grateful for the support of Lowcountry first responders and the community during L/Cpl. Cook’s illness and for the amazing show of support during the procession from MUSC to Hampton Regional Medical Center,” SCHP Col. Chris Williamson said. “L/Cpl. Cook served his community as a firefighter, EMT and trooper. He had a true heart for helping others.”
Hero Down: SC Highway Patrol Lance Corporal A. David Cook Dies From Rare Cancer
by
Sandy Malone
Jun 25
South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. David Cook died on June 24 after a months-long battle with a rare form of cancer.
Hampton County, SC – South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Corporal A. David Cook died on Monday after a months-long battle against a rare form of cancer.
Cpl. Cook, 43, joined the South Carolina Highway Patrol in 2011, but he was involved in emergency services long before he became a member of law enforcement, the Island Packet reported.
Born and raised in Hampton County, Cpl. Cook got his first job working in emergency medical services for the county when he was a junior in high school.
He spent 25 years in law enforcement, EMS, and fire-rescue agencies all over the southern part of the state in both a full and part-time capacity, the Island Packet reported.
A Lowcountry boy, Cpl. Cook stayed in the southern half of the state and worked in Allendale, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, and Jasper counties.
When Cpl. Cook joined the highway patrol, he started out in Troop 6 serving Beaufort and Jasper, the Island Packet reported.
He transferred to Troop 8 and the Safety Improvement Team in 2017, WIS reported.
Four days before he died of bile duct cancer, Cpl. Cook was welcomed home to Hampton County for hospice care from the Medical University of South Carolina hospital where he had been in treatment, the Island Packet reported.
The corporal was transported to the Hampton Regional Medical Center via ambulance and welcomed home by a massive crowd of firefighters, medics, and law enforcement officers from all over the state.
An ambulance from Allendale County EMS, where Cpl. Cook had worked for more than 20 years, picked him up for the drive home, according to the Island Packet.
The ambulance was led by a state highway patrol escort and along the way, a motorcade formed behind it made up of emergency vehicles from every county they passed through.
The roadways were also lined with people, police cars and ambulances. The emergency vehicles flashed their lights and sounded their sirens in tribute to the terminally-ill trooper, the Island Packet reported.
“The South Carolina Highway Patrol is so grateful for the support of Lowcountry first responders and the community during L/Cpl. Cook’s illness and for the amazing show of support during the procession from MUSC to Hampton Regional Medical Center,” South Carolina Highway Patrol Colonel Chris Williamson said. “L/Cpl. Cook served his community as a firefighter, EMT and trooper. He had a true heart for helping others.”
As they approached their final destination, the corporal’s hometown hospital, his friends in the ambulance opened the back doors so the sick trooper could witness the display of love and support from his community and colleagues that included at least 50 police cars.
“We woke him up, and he started figuring out what was going on,” Allendale County EMS Director John Lawson told the Island Packet. “His eyes lit up and he smiled from ear to ear. He couldn’t believe it.”
“All of this is for me?” Cpl. Cook asked.
“Yes, it sure is, man,” Lawson told him.
He said everyone was in tears.
“You’re riding down the road trying to hold back tears of sadness to be strong for him,” Lawson said. “Then you see that happen and you don’t know whether you’re crying because you’re sad or you’re crying because you’re happy that he’s happy.”
Friends said that Cpl. Cook was a fighter and that he made an impression everywhere he worked, according to the Island Packet.
Yemassee Police Department
@YemasseePD
Corporal Michael Strauss prepares to award SCHP Trooper David Cook and former YPD Officer with a “Certificate of Appreciation” for his selfless service to the Hampton County community over the past decade.
“We knew if there was anybody that could fight this off - and he has for much longer than they expected - it would be David,” South Carolina Highway Patrol Sergeant Amery English said.
But it wasn’t the first time that Cpl. Cook faced off with cancer, the Island Packet reported.
Years earlier, he battled kidney cancer and won.
@SCDPS_PIO
The SCDPS & Highway Patrol family thank the community for the support after the death of two troopers in recent days: TFC Jesse D. Cannon, who served with our K9 team in the Upstate, and L/Cpl. A. David Cook, who served with the Safety Improvement Team in the Lowcountry. (1 of 2)
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Corporal David Cook, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
Trooper Arthur David Cook, Jr., 43, of Halls Mill Road near Hampton, died Monday morning in the Hampton Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Cook was born April 15, 1976 in Allendale County, a son of Annette Smith Belk of Sylvania, Georgia and the late Arthur David Cook, Sr. He was presently serving as a Lance Corporal with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Mr. Cook started his career as a Paramedic, serving with Beaufort County, Allendale County Fire and Rescue, Hampton County Fire Department and Colleton County Fire and Rescue. He was still serving part-time with Hampton and Allendale Counties. He was a former Deputy Coroner with Hampton County and was presently serving since 2011 with the South Carolina Highway Patrol Troop 8. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was a member of the Brunson Baptist Church.
Surviving besides his mother are his son: Hunter Cook and his companion Olivia of Hampton; daughter: Taylor Cook of Hampton; brother: Donald Cook and companion Shauna of Statesboro, Georgia; step-brothers: Patrick Belk and Rodney Belk of Alexander, Georgia; step-sister: Pam Mallard of Alexander, Georgia; paternal grandmother; Sara B. Cook of Fairfax; maternal grandmother: Ethel Malphrus of Hampton; uncle: Bud Smith of Brunson; two aunts: Deborah Thomas of Fairfax and Faye Rowe of North Charleston; and step-father: Francis Belk of Sylvania, Georgia. There is also a best friend: Jason Schroyer of Brunson.
Funeral services will be 2 PM Thursday in Open Arms Fellowship Church in Hampton conducted by Chaplain David A. Tafaoa with burial in the Rivers Cemetery with Honors by the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home of Hampton is assisting the family with arrangements.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM at the Church located at 402 Hoover Street North in Hampton.
The family suggests that those who wish may send memorials to the Rivers Cemetery Association, 4935 Prince William Road, Brunson, SC 29911 in care of Mrs. Dawn Winn.
By Patrick Phillips | June 24, 2019 at 2:29 PM EDT - Updated June 24 at 5:38 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Lowcountry state trooper who also worked as a firefighter and emergency medical technician has died, the South Carolina Highway Patrol says.
Lance Cpl. A. David Cook died Monday after an extended illness, according to a release from the agency.
“This has been a very sad and difficult weekend for SCDPS, the Highway Patrol and Troop Eight specifically,” SCDPS Director Leroy Smith said. “On Saturday, we received news of the death of Trooper First Class Jessie D. Cannon, Troop Eight, K9 Unit. This morning, Col. Williamson and I were notified that we had lost Lance Cpl. Cook after an extended illness.”
Cook joined the Highway Patrol in 2011 and served primarily with Troop Six during his career before joining Troop Eight in 2017. Troop Six covers Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper Counties.
Cook was well known in the Beaufort-Jasper first responder community where he had also served as a firefighter with Fairfax Fire Department, Brunson Fire Department and with Beaufort, Hampton, and Allendale County EMS. Before joining the Highway Patrol, Cook also served as a deputy/officer with Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgeland Police Department and Yemassee Police Department.
Troopers had a chance to join other first responders last week in a procession honoring Cook as he was transferred from MUSC to Hospice Care at Hampton Regional Medical Center.
“The South Carolina Highway Patrol is so grateful for the support of Lowcountry first responders and the community during L/Cpl. Cook’s illness and for the amazing show of support during the procession from MUSC to Hampton Regional Medical Center,” SCHP Col. Chris Williamson said. “L/Cpl. Cook served his community as a firefighter, EMT and trooper. He had a true heart for helping others.”
Hero Down: SC Highway Patrol Lance Corporal A. David Cook Dies From Rare Cancer
by
Sandy Malone
Jun 25
South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. David Cook died on June 24 after a months-long battle with a rare form of cancer.
Hampton County, SC – South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Corporal A. David Cook died on Monday after a months-long battle against a rare form of cancer.
Cpl. Cook, 43, joined the South Carolina Highway Patrol in 2011, but he was involved in emergency services long before he became a member of law enforcement, the Island Packet reported.
Born and raised in Hampton County, Cpl. Cook got his first job working in emergency medical services for the county when he was a junior in high school.
He spent 25 years in law enforcement, EMS, and fire-rescue agencies all over the southern part of the state in both a full and part-time capacity, the Island Packet reported.
A Lowcountry boy, Cpl. Cook stayed in the southern half of the state and worked in Allendale, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, and Jasper counties.
When Cpl. Cook joined the highway patrol, he started out in Troop 6 serving Beaufort and Jasper, the Island Packet reported.
He transferred to Troop 8 and the Safety Improvement Team in 2017, WIS reported.
Four days before he died of bile duct cancer, Cpl. Cook was welcomed home to Hampton County for hospice care from the Medical University of South Carolina hospital where he had been in treatment, the Island Packet reported.
The corporal was transported to the Hampton Regional Medical Center via ambulance and welcomed home by a massive crowd of firefighters, medics, and law enforcement officers from all over the state.
An ambulance from Allendale County EMS, where Cpl. Cook had worked for more than 20 years, picked him up for the drive home, according to the Island Packet.
The ambulance was led by a state highway patrol escort and along the way, a motorcade formed behind it made up of emergency vehicles from every county they passed through.
The roadways were also lined with people, police cars and ambulances. The emergency vehicles flashed their lights and sounded their sirens in tribute to the terminally-ill trooper, the Island Packet reported.
“The South Carolina Highway Patrol is so grateful for the support of Lowcountry first responders and the community during L/Cpl. Cook’s illness and for the amazing show of support during the procession from MUSC to Hampton Regional Medical Center,” South Carolina Highway Patrol Colonel Chris Williamson said. “L/Cpl. Cook served his community as a firefighter, EMT and trooper. He had a true heart for helping others.”
As they approached their final destination, the corporal’s hometown hospital, his friends in the ambulance opened the back doors so the sick trooper could witness the display of love and support from his community and colleagues that included at least 50 police cars.
“We woke him up, and he started figuring out what was going on,” Allendale County EMS Director John Lawson told the Island Packet. “His eyes lit up and he smiled from ear to ear. He couldn’t believe it.”
“All of this is for me?” Cpl. Cook asked.
“Yes, it sure is, man,” Lawson told him.
He said everyone was in tears.
“You’re riding down the road trying to hold back tears of sadness to be strong for him,” Lawson said. “Then you see that happen and you don’t know whether you’re crying because you’re sad or you’re crying because you’re happy that he’s happy.”
Friends said that Cpl. Cook was a fighter and that he made an impression everywhere he worked, according to the Island Packet.
Yemassee Police Department
@YemasseePD
Corporal Michael Strauss prepares to award SCHP Trooper David Cook and former YPD Officer with a “Certificate of Appreciation” for his selfless service to the Hampton County community over the past decade.
“We knew if there was anybody that could fight this off - and he has for much longer than they expected - it would be David,” South Carolina Highway Patrol Sergeant Amery English said.
But it wasn’t the first time that Cpl. Cook faced off with cancer, the Island Packet reported.
Years earlier, he battled kidney cancer and won.
@SCDPS_PIO
The SCDPS & Highway Patrol family thank the community for the support after the death of two troopers in recent days: TFC Jesse D. Cannon, who served with our K9 team in the Upstate, and L/Cpl. A. David Cook, who served with the Safety Improvement Team in the Lowcountry. (1 of 2)
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Corporal David Cook, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
DAVID'S OBITUARY
Trooper Arthur David Cook, Jr., 43, of Halls Mill Road near Hampton, died Monday morning in the Hampton Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Cook was born April 15, 1976 in Allendale County, a son of Annette Smith Belk of Sylvania, Georgia and the late Arthur David Cook, Sr. He was presently serving as a Lance Corporal with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Mr. Cook started his career as a Paramedic, serving with Beaufort County, Allendale County Fire and Rescue, Hampton County Fire Department and Colleton County Fire and Rescue. He was still serving part-time with Hampton and Allendale Counties. He was a former Deputy Coroner with Hampton County and was presently serving since 2011 with the South Carolina Highway Patrol Troop 8. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was a member of the Brunson Baptist Church.
Surviving besides his mother are his son: Hunter Cook and his companion Olivia of Hampton; daughter: Taylor Cook of Hampton; brother: Donald Cook and companion Shauna of Statesboro, Georgia; step-brothers: Patrick Belk and Rodney Belk of Alexander, Georgia; step-sister: Pam Mallard of Alexander, Georgia; paternal grandmother; Sara B. Cook of Fairfax; maternal grandmother: Ethel Malphrus of Hampton; uncle: Bud Smith of Brunson; two aunts: Deborah Thomas of Fairfax and Faye Rowe of North Charleston; and step-father: Francis Belk of Sylvania, Georgia. There is also a best friend: Jason Schroyer of Brunson.
Funeral services will be 2 PM Thursday in Open Arms Fellowship Church in Hampton conducted by Chaplain David A. Tafaoa with burial in the Rivers Cemetery with Honors by the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home of Hampton is assisting the family with arrangements.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM at the Church located at 402 Hoover Street North in Hampton.
The family suggests that those who wish may send memorials to the Rivers Cemetery Association, 4935 Prince William Road, Brunson, SC 29911 in care of Mrs. Dawn Winn.
By Patrick Phillips | June 24, 2019 at 2:29 PM EDT - Updated June 24 at 5:38 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Lowcountry state trooper who also worked as a firefighter and emergency medical technician has died, the South Carolina Highway Patrol says.
Lance Cpl. A. David Cook died Monday after an extended illness, according to a release from the agency.
“This has been a very sad and difficult weekend for SCDPS, the Highway Patrol and Troop Eight specifically,” SCDPS Director Leroy Smith said. “On Saturday, we received news of the death of Trooper First Class Jessie D. Cannon, Troop Eight, K9 Unit. This morning, Col. Williamson and I were notified that we had lost Lance Cpl. Cook after an extended illness.”
Cook joined the Highway Patrol in 2011 and served primarily with Troop Six during his career before joining Troop Eight in 2017. Troop Six covers Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper Counties.
Cook was well known in the Beaufort-Jasper first responder community where he had also served as a firefighter with Fairfax Fire Department, Brunson Fire Department and with Beaufort, Hampton, and Allendale County EMS. Before joining the Highway Patrol, Cook also served as a deputy/officer with Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgeland Police Department and Yemassee Police Department.
Troopers had a chance to join other first responders last week in a procession honoring Cook as he was transferred from MUSC to Hospice Care at Hampton Regional Medical Center.
“The South Carolina Highway Patrol is so grateful for the support of Lowcountry first responders and the community during L/Cpl. Cook’s illness and for the amazing show of support during the procession from MUSC to Hampton Regional Medical Center,” SCHP Col. Chris Williamson said. “L/Cpl. Cook served his community as a firefighter, EMT and trooper. He had a true heart for helping others.”
Hero Down: SC Highway Patrol Lance Corporal A. David Cook Dies From Rare Cancer
by
Sandy Malone
Jun 25
South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. David Cook died on June 24 after a months-long battle with a rare form of cancer.
Hampton County, SC – South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Corporal A. David Cook died on Monday after a months-long battle against a rare form of cancer.
Cpl. Cook, 43, joined the South Carolina Highway Patrol in 2011, but he was involved in emergency services long before he became a member of law enforcement, the Island Packet reported.
Born and raised in Hampton County, Cpl. Cook got his first job working in emergency medical services for the county when he was a junior in high school.
He spent 25 years in law enforcement, EMS, and fire-rescue agencies all over the southern part of the state in both a full and part-time capacity, the Island Packet reported.
A Lowcountry boy, Cpl. Cook stayed in the southern half of the state and worked in Allendale, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, and Jasper counties.
When Cpl. Cook joined the highway patrol, he started out in Troop 6 serving Beaufort and Jasper, the Island Packet reported.
He transferred to Troop 8 and the Safety Improvement Team in 2017, WIS reported.
Four days before he died of bile duct cancer, Cpl. Cook was welcomed home to Hampton County for hospice care from the Medical University of South Carolina hospital where he had been in treatment, the Island Packet reported.
The corporal was transported to the Hampton Regional Medical Center via ambulance and welcomed home by a massive crowd of firefighters, medics, and law enforcement officers from all over the state.
An ambulance from Allendale County EMS, where Cpl. Cook had worked for more than 20 years, picked him up for the drive home, according to the Island Packet.
The ambulance was led by a state highway patrol escort and along the way, a motorcade formed behind it made up of emergency vehicles from every county they passed through.
The roadways were also lined with people, police cars and ambulances. The emergency vehicles flashed their lights and sounded their sirens in tribute to the terminally-ill trooper, the Island Packet reported.
“The South Carolina Highway Patrol is so grateful for the support of Lowcountry first responders and the community during L/Cpl. Cook’s illness and for the amazing show of support during the procession from MUSC to Hampton Regional Medical Center,” South Carolina Highway Patrol Colonel Chris Williamson said. “L/Cpl. Cook served his community as a firefighter, EMT and trooper. He had a true heart for helping others.”
As they approached their final destination, the corporal’s hometown hospital, his friends in the ambulance opened the back doors so the sick trooper could witness the display of love and support from his community and colleagues that included at least 50 police cars.
“We woke him up, and he started figuring out what was going on,” Allendale County EMS Director John Lawson told the Island Packet. “His eyes lit up and he smiled from ear to ear. He couldn’t believe it.”
“All of this is for me?” Cpl. Cook asked.
“Yes, it sure is, man,” Lawson told him.
He said everyone was in tears.
“You’re riding down the road trying to hold back tears of sadness to be strong for him,” Lawson said. “Then you see that happen and you don’t know whether you’re crying because you’re sad or you’re crying because you’re happy that he’s happy.”
Friends said that Cpl. Cook was a fighter and that he made an impression everywhere he worked, according to the Island Packet.
Yemassee Police Department
@YemasseePD
Corporal Michael Strauss prepares to award SCHP Trooper David Cook and former YPD Officer with a “Certificate of Appreciation” for his selfless service to the Hampton County community over the past decade.
“We knew if there was anybody that could fight this off - and he has for much longer than they expected - it would be David,” South Carolina Highway Patrol Sergeant Amery English said.
But it wasn’t the first time that Cpl. Cook faced off with cancer, the Island Packet reported.
Years earlier, he battled kidney cancer and won.
@SCDPS_PIO
The SCDPS & Highway Patrol family thank the community for the support after the death of two troopers in recent days: TFC Jesse D. Cannon, who served with our K9 team in the Upstate, and L/Cpl. A. David Cook, who served with the Safety Improvement Team in the Lowcountry. (1 of 2)
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Corporal David Cook, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
Trooper Arthur David Cook, Jr., 43, of Halls Mill Road near Hampton, died Monday morning in the Hampton Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Cook was born April 15, 1976 in Allendale County, a son of Annette Smith Belk of Sylvania, Georgia and the late Arthur David Cook, Sr. He was presently serving as a Lance Corporal with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Mr. Cook started his career as a Paramedic, serving with Beaufort County, Allendale County Fire and Rescue, Hampton County Fire Department and Colleton County Fire and Rescue. He was still serving part-time with Hampton and Allendale Counties. He was a former Deputy Coroner with Hampton County and was presently serving since 2011 with the South Carolina Highway Patrol Troop 8. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was a member of the Brunson Baptist Church.
Surviving besides his mother are his son: Hunter Cook and his companion Olivia of Hampton; daughter: Taylor Cook of Hampton; brother: Donald Cook and companion Shauna of Statesboro, Georgia; step-brothers: Patrick Belk and Rodney Belk of Alexander, Georgia; step-sister: Pam Mallard of Alexander, Georgia; paternal grandmother; Sara B. Cook of Fairfax; maternal grandmother: Ethel Malphrus of Hampton; uncle: Bud Smith of Brunson; two aunts: Deborah Thomas of Fairfax and Faye Rowe of North Charleston; and step-father: Francis Belk of Sylvania, Georgia. There is also a best friend: Jason Schroyer of Brunson.
Funeral services will be 2 PM Thursday in Open Arms Fellowship Church in Hampton conducted by Chaplain David A. Tafaoa with burial in the Rivers Cemetery with Honors by the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home of Hampton is assisting the family with arrangements.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM at the Church located at 402 Hoover Street North in Hampton.
The family suggests that those who wish may send memorials to the Rivers Cemetery Association, 4935 Prince William Road, Brunson, SC 29911 in care of Mrs. Dawn Winn.
By Patrick Phillips | June 24, 2019 at 2:29 PM EDT - Updated June 24 at 5:38 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Lowcountry state trooper who also worked as a firefighter and emergency medical technician has died, the South Carolina Highway Patrol says.
Lance Cpl. A. David Cook died Monday after an extended illness, according to a release from the agency.
“This has been a very sad and difficult weekend for SCDPS, the Highway Patrol and Troop Eight specifically,” SCDPS Director Leroy Smith said. “On Saturday, we received news of the death of Trooper First Class Jessie D. Cannon, Troop Eight, K9 Unit. This morning, Col. Williamson and I were notified that we had lost Lance Cpl. Cook after an extended illness.”
Cook joined the Highway Patrol in 2011 and served primarily with Troop Six during his career before joining Troop Eight in 2017. Troop Six covers Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper Counties.
Cook was well known in the Beaufort-Jasper first responder community where he had also served as a firefighter with Fairfax Fire Department, Brunson Fire Department and with Beaufort, Hampton, and Allendale County EMS. Before joining the Highway Patrol, Cook also served as a deputy/officer with Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgeland Police Department and Yemassee Police Department.
Troopers had a chance to join other first responders last week in a procession honoring Cook as he was transferred from MUSC to Hospice Care at Hampton Regional Medical Center.
“The South Carolina Highway Patrol is so grateful for the support of Lowcountry first responders and the community during L/Cpl. Cook’s illness and for the amazing show of support during the procession from MUSC to Hampton Regional Medical Center,” SCHP Col. Chris Williamson said. “L/Cpl. Cook served his community as a firefighter, EMT and trooper. He had a true heart for helping others.”
Hero Down: SC Highway Patrol Lance Corporal A. David Cook Dies From Rare Cancer
by
Sandy Malone
Jun 25
South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. David Cook died on June 24 after a months-long battle with a rare form of cancer.
Hampton County, SC – South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Corporal A. David Cook died on Monday after a months-long battle against a rare form of cancer.
Cpl. Cook, 43, joined the South Carolina Highway Patrol in 2011, but he was involved in emergency services long before he became a member of law enforcement, the Island Packet reported.
Born and raised in Hampton County, Cpl. Cook got his first job working in emergency medical services for the county when he was a junior in high school.
He spent 25 years in law enforcement, EMS, and fire-rescue agencies all over the southern part of the state in both a full and part-time capacity, the Island Packet reported.
A Lowcountry boy, Cpl. Cook stayed in the southern half of the state and worked in Allendale, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, and Jasper counties.
When Cpl. Cook joined the highway patrol, he started out in Troop 6 serving Beaufort and Jasper, the Island Packet reported.
He transferred to Troop 8 and the Safety Improvement Team in 2017, WIS reported.
Four days before he died of bile duct cancer, Cpl. Cook was welcomed home to Hampton County for hospice care from the Medical University of South Carolina hospital where he had been in treatment, the Island Packet reported.
The corporal was transported to the Hampton Regional Medical Center via ambulance and welcomed home by a massive crowd of firefighters, medics, and law enforcement officers from all over the state.
An ambulance from Allendale County EMS, where Cpl. Cook had worked for more than 20 years, picked him up for the drive home, according to the Island Packet.
The ambulance was led by a state highway patrol escort and along the way, a motorcade formed behind it made up of emergency vehicles from every county they passed through.
The roadways were also lined with people, police cars and ambulances. The emergency vehicles flashed their lights and sounded their sirens in tribute to the terminally-ill trooper, the Island Packet reported.
“The South Carolina Highway Patrol is so grateful for the support of Lowcountry first responders and the community during L/Cpl. Cook’s illness and for the amazing show of support during the procession from MUSC to Hampton Regional Medical Center,” South Carolina Highway Patrol Colonel Chris Williamson said. “L/Cpl. Cook served his community as a firefighter, EMT and trooper. He had a true heart for helping others.”
As they approached their final destination, the corporal’s hometown hospital, his friends in the ambulance opened the back doors so the sick trooper could witness the display of love and support from his community and colleagues that included at least 50 police cars.
“We woke him up, and he started figuring out what was going on,” Allendale County EMS Director John Lawson told the Island Packet. “His eyes lit up and he smiled from ear to ear. He couldn’t believe it.”
“All of this is for me?” Cpl. Cook asked.
“Yes, it sure is, man,” Lawson told him.
He said everyone was in tears.
“You’re riding down the road trying to hold back tears of sadness to be strong for him,” Lawson said. “Then you see that happen and you don’t know whether you’re crying because you’re sad or you’re crying because you’re happy that he’s happy.”
Friends said that Cpl. Cook was a fighter and that he made an impression everywhere he worked, according to the Island Packet.
Yemassee Police Department
@YemasseePD
Corporal Michael Strauss prepares to award SCHP Trooper David Cook and former YPD Officer with a “Certificate of Appreciation” for his selfless service to the Hampton County community over the past decade.
“We knew if there was anybody that could fight this off - and he has for much longer than they expected - it would be David,” South Carolina Highway Patrol Sergeant Amery English said.
But it wasn’t the first time that Cpl. Cook faced off with cancer, the Island Packet reported.
Years earlier, he battled kidney cancer and won.
@SCDPS_PIO
The SCDPS & Highway Patrol family thank the community for the support after the death of two troopers in recent days: TFC Jesse D. Cannon, who served with our K9 team in the Upstate, and L/Cpl. A. David Cook, who served with the Safety Improvement Team in the Lowcountry. (1 of 2)
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Corporal David Cook, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
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