I’ll wait here!

Welcome to the online service of remembrance for my dad Sam Cook who passed away on June 30th 2024.  This page is continuing the celebration of his life in words, pictures and music. Sam specifically chose the song playing (if you have autoplay enabled) Green Green Grass by George Ezra for the line “You better throw a party on the day I die”. The music can be turned off or replayed using the play button on the centre left of your screen, you can also click on any picture to view it at full size.

Incase you are wondering the relevance of the page title “I’ll wait here!”, it is because if you ever visited Sam upon leaving he always said “I’ll wait here!”, it was his way of saying farewell, hope to see you again.

Sam Cook

January 1940 – June 2024

Sam’s passions and hobbies

Sam was never one to pass up on an opportunity, like David said earlier he found a passion in flying and when the chance came about to do a parachute jump to raise money for an Asthma charity both Sam and Sharon relished the challenge. Although nerves may have got to Sharon a little… Sam was making jokes until the very last second before throwing himself out of the plane and came falling through the sky kicking and waving his arms about in delight. Unknown to Sharon, they were talking to Sam through an ear piece and asked for him to move his arms and legs if they could hear him.

Although Sam was always incredibly hard working he loved spending time with Ann on various holidays. Together they flew on concord, visited the great wall of China and of course travelled the world through the various cruises. Sam was always a great mover and those lessons in Rock and Roll as well as ballroom served him well on the function evenings the cruises organised. There were the occasions that he and Ann would also take their grandchildren Vincent and Ruby away with them on their holidays to Benidorm or Ibiza. Being the adrenaline junkie that Sam was, he loved visiting the theme parks abroad and would be by their side as they rode the coasters.

Those times he was able to sit and relax he loved watching sport. Whether it was cricket, women’s football or the snooker on an afternoon with Ann. But although he had the comfort of choosing any spot on the sofa he always preferred to sit on the floor next to the fire.

His home was his castle and as he grew weaker in the last few months of his life he was desperate to get out of hospital, get picked up in the van by Sharon’s partner Dave and head back to his own bed and his dear dog Emmie or as Sam called her… Monkey.

Thanks to the amazing care staff, Sam was able to pass away peacefully in his own home surrounded by his family. The staff loved visiting Ann and Sam’s house and being treated to the visits by his close family members and his upbeat character which shone through even during the hardest of days. Ann would like to take this time to give her deepest thanks to the neighbourhood care team and the district nurses who gave Sam the care and attention he deserved.

Ann would also like to thank her children; Shaon, Dereck, Clive, Trudy and Grandchildren Ruby and Vincent for supporting her as she cared for Sam and helping her through these tough times.

Poem – The Gardener

As we prepare to say our final goodbyes to Sam we listen to the words of this poem chosen by the family. It’s story reflecting the man Sam was and his absolute passion for gardening and providing for his family.

Trowel in hand he stood their proud,
Of tomatoes that he’d sown.
Of courgettes, carrots, beans and herbs
All of which he’d grown.

A life time spent with earthly hands,
From planting all the seed.
Providing for his family
A feast from which to feed.
Veggies grew in great abundance,
Or every colour bright.
He cared for them most tenderly,
He cared all day and night.

Patiently he tended
To all his little sprouts
Watering and nurturing
Till they could see the light.

Always proud but often strict,
This gardener had a way.
Of helping little seedlings grow
So none would ever stray.

Sam loved his garden,
His veggies were his life.
It was also somewhere to escape
When in trouble with the wife.

This of me next time you stand,
Where a veggie garden grows.
For there ill be in the sun and earth
And in the wind that blows.

Committal

So as we say our farewells to you Sam, we say thank you for all that you gave to us in life, the warmth of your love; your humour, wit and friendship; your help, guidance, and wisdom and the joy that you brought wherever you went, you were one of life’s real characters, the world will never be the same without you.

Just as the elements came together to create you, so now we ask those same elements to surround you and keep you safe as once again you become part of something greater that each of us and more than we know or understand.

Whilst we miss you terribly, we are thankful that you now have the peace you deserve and will go onwards into the universe with your trusty work boots by your side.

Goodbye Sam, and thank you for being you, and being part of our lives.

Final words

Friends and family, thank you for being here to say goodbye to Sam and support the loved ones he leaves behind.
As we leave the service today we play a song specifically chosen by Sam for its line ‘You better throw a party on the day that I die’.

As Sam would say… I’ll wait here.