Obituary of William Alfred "W.A." Cooke Jr. WILLIAM ALFRED COOKE JR. Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - December 11, 1997 William Alfred ''W.A.'' Cooke Jr., 61, a resident of Meherrin Road, was borne into eternal life Tuesday, Dec. 9, 1997, at Maryview Medical Center, Portsmouth. A lifelong resident of Southampton County, he had owned and operated Cooke's Servicenter, Capron, for the past 36 years. ''W.A.,'' as he was known to his friends, was a popular and well-respected member of the Southampton County community, especially with farmers and county and state law enforcement officers with whom he worked closely. Cooke's Servicenter was a favorite local gathering point where friends could meet to exchange good-natured humor and the latest news. W.A. was willing to extend a helping hand to anyone in need and he will be missed by the community he served. W.A. considered his job in life to get up and go to work, to support his family and to take care of his may friends. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, son, grandfather and friend. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Peggy Gay Cooke; a son, Wayne Allan Cooke, both of Capron; a daughter, Wanda Allison Donadio of Richmond; his mother, Lina Johnson Cooke; a sister, Hazel Cooke; two brothers, Randolph Cooke and James Thomas Cooke, all of Boykins. He was known as ''PaPa'' to his four beloved grandchildren, Allison Shay Donadio, William Alexander Donadio, Sherree' Nicole Donadio and Paul Guy Donadio II. He was the son of the late W.A. Cooke Sr. and brother of the late Marvin Cooke. A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday in Newsoms Baptist Church by the Rev. Kenneth Williams and the Rev. Derek Koolman. The procession will pause at Cooke's Servicenter en route to the burial in Beechwood Cemetery, Boykins. The family will receive friends at Purviance Funeral Home, Boykins, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. today and other times at the residence. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. W.A. left this world with many friends, never knowing a stranger. ''What are we going to do with out you, W.A.'' - Peggy, Wanda, Wayne Allan and family. Edition: FINAL Page: B9 Copyright (c) 1997 The Virginian-Pilot ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– William Alfred "W.A." Cooke Jr., 61, of Meherrin Road, Southampton County, died 9 Dec 1997 at Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth. He was owner of Cooke's Servicenter in Capron for 36 years. A funeral was held 12 Dec 1997 at Newsoms Baptist Church, conducted by Rev. Kenneth Williams and Rev. Derek Koolman, with burial in Beechwood Cemetery, Boykins. ––– Transcript ––– WILLIAM ALFRED COOKE JR. William Alfred "W.A." Cooke Jr., 61, a resident of Meherrin Road, was borne into eternal life Tuesday, 9 Dec 1997, at Maryview Medical Center, Portsmouth. A lifelong resident of Southampton County, he had owned and operated Cooke's Servicenter, Capron, for the past 36 years. "W.A.," as he was known to his friends, was a popular and well-respected member of the Southampton County community, especially with farmers and county and state law enforcement officers with whom he worked closely. Cooke's Servicenter was a favorite local gathering point where friends could meet to exchange good-natured humor and the latest news. W.A. was willing to extend a helping hand to anyone in need, and he will be missed by the community he served. W.A. considered his job in life to get up and go to work, to support his family, and to take care of his many friends. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, son, grandfather, and friend. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Peggy Gay Cooke; a son, Wayne Allan Cooke, both of Capron; a daughter, Wanda Allison Donadio of Richmond; his mother, Lina Johnson Cooke; a sister, Hazel Cooke; two brothers, Randolph Cooke and James Thomas Cooke, all of Boykins. He was known as "PaPa" to his four beloved grandchildren, Allison Shay Donadio, William Alexander Donadio, Sherree' Nicole Donadio, and Paul Guy Donadio II. He was the son of the late W.A. Cooke Sr. and brother of the late Marvin Cooke. A funeral was conducted at 2 p.m. Friday in Newsoms Baptist Church by the Rev. Kenneth Williams and the Rev. Derek Koolman. The procession paused at Cooke's Servicenter en route to the burial in Beechwood Cemetery, Boykins. The family received friends at Purviance Funeral Home, Boykins, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and other times at the residence. Memorial donations could be made to the American Cancer Society. W.A. left this world with many friends, never knowing a stranger. "What are we going to do without you, W.A." - Peggy, Wanda, Wayne Allan, and family. ––– Vital Statistics ––– |---------------------------------------------------------| | Field | Value | | Name | William Alfred "W.A." Cooke Jr. | | Age | 61 years | | Birth | 1936 (estimated) | | Death | 9 Dec 1997, Maryview Medical Center, Portsmouth | |---------------------------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | | William Alfred "W.A." Cooke Jr. | Deceased | Meherrin Road, Southampton County | | Peggy Gay Cooke | Wife | Capron | | Wayne Allan Cooke | Son | Capron | | Wanda Allison Donadio | Daughter | Richmond | | Lina Johnson Cooke | Mother | Boykins | | Hazel Cooke | Sister | Boykins | | Randolph Cooke | Brother | Boykins | | James Thomas Cooke | Brother | Boykins | | Marvin Cooke | Brother (deceased) | — | | W.A. Cooke Sr. | Father (deceased) | — | | Allison Shay Donadio | Granddaughter | — | | William Alexander Donadio | Grandson | — | | Sherree' Nicole Donadio | Granddaughter | — | | Paul Guy Donadio II | Grandson | — | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |--------------------------------| | Field | Value | | Location | Norfolk, Virginia | | Name | The Virginian-Pilot | | Date | 11 Dec 1997 | | Edition | Final | | Section | B | | Page | B9 | |--------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • Owner and operator of Cooke's Servicenter in Capron for 36 years. • Lifelong resident of Southampton County. • Well known to local farmers and law enforcement. • Spouse's birth name was Peggy Gay. • Also known as "W.A." 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