DUDLEY – John W. Cooke, Sr., 54, of 35 Flaxfield Road, died Tuesday, Dec. 20, at Morton Hospital in Taunton after being stricken ill at work.
He leaves his wife of 13 years, Carol A. (Grzyb) Cooke; two sons, John W. Cooke, Jr. and his wife Juliana of West Roxbury, and Joshua A. Rusack of Dudley; a daughter, Erika F. Rusack of Dudley; a granddaughter, Makayla Cooke; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, John W. and Merilyn F. (Dumond) Grzyb of Webster; many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his brother Kevin in 1973.
He was born in Boston and raised in Jamaica Plain, the son of William and Margaret (Lydon) Cooke. He lived in Milford before moving to Dudley in 1999. He graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Jamaica Plain.
He was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War, and served in Pleiku, Vietnam with the Field Artillery Dusters from 1969 to 1971.
Mr. Cooke worked for the American Red Cross in Dedham for 32 years. He was a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Webster, the Webster-Dudley American Legion Post #184, and the Teamsters Union. He enjoyed his family, the Patriots and fishing. He was once active in the drum corps, and marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
The funeral, with full military honors, will be held Saturday, Dec. 24, from Scanlon Funeral Service, East Main St., with a Mass at 10:00 AM in Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 16 East Main St. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Calling hours are from 6:00 to 9:00 PM Friday, Dec. 23, at the funeral home.