Thomas Jeffry Cook
December 3, 1953 — August 27, 2020
Thomas Jeffry Cook, 66, passed away in his sleep during the early hours of August 27th, 2020, after a month-long fight with brain cancer.
The youngest of four children, Tom was born in Miami on December 3rd, 1953, to Jesse Linton and Betty (Willis) Cook. His childhood was spent climbing trees and making mischief, with little focus on his studies (much to the chagrin of his grade school teachers). In 1982 he joined the Military Park Fire Department, which was soon merged into Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. A member of the Special Operations unit and hazmat team, Tom served there until his retirement in 2011. Being a firefighter was the most defining feature of his character; for over 30 years he helped save countless lives and truly made a difference in the world.
During a shift in February of 1983 he found himself running into the same young EMT over and over, even on different calls. She caught his eye and left quite the impression, so he learned her name and sent her a dozen roses. Thomas and Susan (Meikle) married December 3rd of that year (a date she knew he couldn’t forget) and they celebrated their 36th anniversary in 2019. Tom had always wanted a son and the births of his two boys, Brian and Scott, were among the biggest highlights of his life.
Without exaggeration Tom was a friend to everyone, from the cashiers at Publix or the staff at the Pancake House, to the strangers he’d meet in line at Dunkin Donuts. It was a running joke that it was impossible to take him anywhere without running into someone he knew. And that spirit didn’t stop with people either; he researched and put together his own large animal rescue equipment, responding to several calls on his day off to help save trapped horses — a legacy that lives on today, as he donated everything to Fire Rescue upon his retirement.
Whether Tom was sharing his knowledge of history with friends at WWII and Vietnam reenactment events, hosting family game nights and playing cards long into the night, or bottle-feeding one of the 97 kittens he fostered across a three-year span — he lived life to the fullest. Tom was particularly excited to play Santa at his local PetCo, posing for photos with dogs, bearded dragons, rats, and everything in between. In fact, although he retired in 2011 he would still get up early every morning and visit his old fire station to feed the feral cats that lived in the woods nearby.
Tom is survived by his wife, Susan; his sons, Brian and Scott; his mother, Betty; his siblings Charles, Judy, and Beth; numerous nieces and cousins; and many pets, including his cats Onyx and Little One.
Late one teary night before he passed, Tom quietly said, “I hope I did a good job.” Taking his hand, we told him he was the best of us and that we were very proud.
Family, friends, and others whose lives Tom touched will be invited to celebrate his life at a later date, once it is safe to do so. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Palm Beach County Firefighters Benevolent Fund ( http://www.firefighterbenevolent.org/index.html ).
The youngest of four children, Tom was born in Miami on December 3rd, 1953, to Jesse Linton and Betty (Willis) Cook. His childhood was spent climbing trees and making mischief, with little focus on his studies (much to the chagrin of his grade school teachers). In 1982 he joined the Military Park Fire Department, which was soon merged into Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. A member of the Special Operations unit and hazmat team, Tom served there until his retirement in 2011. Being a firefighter was the most defining feature of his character; for over 30 years he helped save countless lives and truly made a difference in the world.
During a shift in February of 1983 he found himself running into the same young EMT over and over, even on different calls. She caught his eye and left quite the impression, so he learned her name and sent her a dozen roses. Thomas and Susan (Meikle) married December 3rd of that year (a date she knew he couldn’t forget) and they celebrated their 36th anniversary in 2019. Tom had always wanted a son and the births of his two boys, Brian and Scott, were among the biggest highlights of his life.
Without exaggeration Tom was a friend to everyone, from the cashiers at Publix or the staff at the Pancake House, to the strangers he’d meet in line at Dunkin Donuts. It was a running joke that it was impossible to take him anywhere without running into someone he knew. And that spirit didn’t stop with people either; he researched and put together his own large animal rescue equipment, responding to several calls on his day off to help save trapped horses — a legacy that lives on today, as he donated everything to Fire Rescue upon his retirement.
Whether Tom was sharing his knowledge of history with friends at WWII and Vietnam reenactment events, hosting family game nights and playing cards long into the night, or bottle-feeding one of the 97 kittens he fostered across a three-year span — he lived life to the fullest. Tom was particularly excited to play Santa at his local PetCo, posing for photos with dogs, bearded dragons, rats, and everything in between. In fact, although he retired in 2011 he would still get up early every morning and visit his old fire station to feed the feral cats that lived in the woods nearby.
Tom is survived by his wife, Susan; his sons, Brian and Scott; his mother, Betty; his siblings Charles, Judy, and Beth; numerous nieces and cousins; and many pets, including his cats Onyx and Little One.
Late one teary night before he passed, Tom quietly said, “I hope I did a good job.” Taking his hand, we told him he was the best of us and that we were very proud.
Family, friends, and others whose lives Tom touched will be invited to celebrate his life at a later date, once it is safe to do so. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Palm Beach County Firefighters Benevolent Fund ( http://www.firefighterbenevolent.org/index.html ).
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