[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 109 (Thursday, July 22, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H5963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE OF COUNCILMAN WILLIE COOK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Woolsey). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bright) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. BRIGHT. Madam Speaker, on July 8, the city of Montgomery lost a 
great public servant. Councilman Willie Cook unexpectedly passed away 
after suffering a massive heart attack. He was only 53 years old.
  Willie was not just a colleague; he was a trusted friend. Willie and 
I were first elected to office in the same year, 1999, and it was an 
honor to work in partnership with him to move our great city forward 
over the 9 years that we served together in the city government of our 
capital city of Montgomery, Alabama.
  Willie was known to be a tireless advocate for those he represented 
in Council District 6. As the Montgomery Advertiser noted following his 
death, ``Cook provided a strong public voice for his constituents and 
was an aggressive advocate for what he perceived as their best 
interests.'' I couldn't agree more.
  Last Thursday, Willie was laid to rest at the Montgomery Memorial 
Cemetery after a memorial service at the convention center. Hundreds of 
friends, family, and admirers were in attendance to honor the life of a 
great city leader. It was a fitting way to pay tribute to someone as 
accomplished as Willie Cook.
  My thoughts and prayers continue to be with his wife, Lorna; with his 
children Vaneka, Benito, and Christopher; with his five grandchildren; 
and with his parents, Willie Cook, Jr., and Daisy, as they continue to 
mourn the loss of their son, their husband, and their father.
  Willie will surely be missed at our State capital, Montgomery, 
Alabama. He truly was a friend that I served with, and he made a big 
difference in our State capital. So I thank you for allowing me to 
honor his life today.

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