James Thomas Edward Cook

James Thomas Edward Cook died at 6:00 p.m. Thursday evening of cardiac arrest, on his arrival at the Emergency Room of Women and Children's Hospital. He would have been 32 yesterday (August 10th). He was the fourth son of Fr. Peter Cook (Rector of St. Michael All Angels Parish), and Nancy Cook (Spanish professor at McNeese). He was brother to Jonathan, Christopher, Samuel, and Elizabeth. He was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The family has lived in Lake Charles since 1991.

James graduated from Barbe High School in 2000. There he excelled in Quiz-bowl. He played keyboard for the Show Choir. He played goalkeeper on the Varsity Soccer Team. He gained All State recognition in band, playing bass trombone. He sang second bass in the All State High School choir.

James won a voice scholarship to Richmond University but switched majors, graduating in music composition in 2004. He then earned a Masters in Music Composition at the University of New Orleans, graduating in 2008. From there he entered a doctoral program for music composition at the University of Memphis, from which he finally had to withdraw for reasons of ill health in the summer of 2012. For years James had found himself battling the effects of panic disorder and depression.

His dream had always been to teach Music, its history, theory, and composition at a small Liberal Arts College. His belief was that Music History offered the clearest mirror, and served as the best expression of Christian faith down through the ages, along with Culture's efforts to reach self-understanding.

In his own field James was fascinated by the extent to which mathematics infiltrated music theory and composition. His weakness? An inability to find focus. For years his brain restlessly explored too many different avenues: the knowledge of Music, of Art, Science, Philosophy, History.

In his last years James' succumbed to the torment of bi-polar episodes. He gained relief as his interests turned to Christian thought and apologetics. He associated deeply with the agony of those hostile to the Christian gospel, or those whose faith had failed them. The more he investigated God's truth the more he understood the faith he had received from his fathers. Also, he fully understood the nature and science behind the disease that afflicted him.

Despite his growing torment in recent months, or perhaps because of it, James was able to share his understanding, and bring relief to those suffering as he did. Frequently, in his last weeks he would bow his head and ask friends and parents to pray for him. He would name the demons tormenting him, and ask that in the name of Jesus, and through the power of his shed blood, that he be given release. His family knows that James now has that release: he died secure in the knowledge that Christ was his Savior, and that as a child of God he belonged to a heavenly Father.

The family ask that flowers not be brought to commemorate James' passing. For any who would like to contribute, we invite a donation to the James Cook Memorial Fund, and addressed to Jackie at St. Michael All Angels on Sale Road. Visitation will be on Thursday, Aug.15th, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at St Michael's church at 123 West Sale Road. The funeral service will be on Friday, 16th, at 11:00 a.m., after visitation from 10:00 a.m.