‘A little light that shone’
An ashen sky punctuated Sunday’s somber memorial service for Patricia Ann Cook, a Culpeper resident and churchgoer remembered for her wit, creativity, gentleness, kindness and servant’s heart.
The untimely observance was held at Culpeper United Methodist, where Mrs. Cook was active in the children’s ministry, quilters’ guild and in the church kitchen, where she would try out new dishes to serve to fellow parishioners on Wednesday nights.
“She always called me kid,” said church member Lori Davis, remembering Cook’s recipes, cooked with a lot of love, she said. “Pat was very eager to help.”
Everyone else was “hon,” others recalled.
But her passion was children, said Davis, who like others recalled Cook’s Sunday School crafts and special treats. Childless herself, Cook gave endlessly to the children at church and in her own neighborhood.
“There was a little light that shone through Pat,” Davis said. “It was God’s light.”
A picture emerged at the memorial service of a faithful homemaker, loving wife and loyal friend who loved to read her Bible, collect seashells and give to others. This portrait, repeated time and again, made it even more difficult to comprehend the manner of Cook’s death.
Just two days after she turned 54, the retired cosmetologist, originally from Illinois, was shot dead February 9 in a reported physical altercation with a Culpeper Police officer on East Street.
Virginia State Police say the unidentified officer had his arm trapped in the driver’s side window of Cook’s Jeep and was being dragged alongside the vehicle as she pulled away from the parking lot of Epiphany Catholic School. The officer was called to the scene for a report of a suspicious person.
It remains unknown why Cook was in the school parking lot that morning or exactly what happened to cause her violent death. An eyewitness has said the officer’s arm was never trapped, and that he was not being dragged.
The VSP has not released any new information since the days following the tragic incident that has left the Culpeper community angered and stunned.
Cook left behind a husband of nearly eight years, Gary Cook, and a brother and mother, both residents of New Jersey.
The Rev. Randy Orndorff, pastor at Culpeper United Methodist, acknowledged the mixture of emotions surrounding Cook’s sudden passing – rage, anger, sadness and grief – and that there remained more questions than answers. In addition, he spoke of love, compassion and forgiveness in a message, “Weave Us Together, Lord.”
Orndorff asked for prayers for Mr. Cook and Mrs. Cook’s brother, in attendance Sunday, and her mother, who was not there. The reverend also said, “We do pray for the police officer and his family and everybody involved.”
“There is still much to work through,” Orndorff said. “We have to find ways to move forward.”
A palatable sense of disbelief permeated the sanctuary Sunday, where examples of Cook’s simple works were displayed. Her quilts decorated the altar, and at the entrance were her crafts and crafts made for her by the church’s children – a butterfly of tissue paper and a clothespin, a dragonfly of popsicle sticks and glitter.
Photographs of Mrs. Cook showed her surrounded by children, including a large image projected at the front in which she had her arms raised as if in song.
“To be such a petite woman, Pat had a tremendous heart,” said Davis.
She had a sense of humor too, noted Pastor Nancy Palmer, saying what she most remembered about the fellow parishioner was when she would complement Cook on her meals.
“She would always say, ‘Well, kiss the cook,’” Palmer said.
Pat always tried to make others feel special, Orndorff said, and her passing leaves a lot of hurt.
“How do we handle it? Through our faith,” the pastor said.
Patricia Cook made the most of her 54 years, Orndorff went on, sharing a lesson he knows from experience having lost his teenaged daughter in a car accident: “Be careful not to focus on what you lost, and I know you lost a lot. Focus on what you had.”
In addition to church friends and family, several town government officials attended Sunday’s service including Culpeper Mayor Chip Coleman and Culpeper Police Chief Chris Jenkins.
http://www2.starexponent.com/news/2012/feb/20/little-light-shone-ar-1702078/
Sounds like it was a good service.