| |
|
|
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 633
|
| |
| |
|
|
In Memory |
|
|
of |
|
|
Harold Cook |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, A wave of sorrow rippled across the political |
|
|
divide with the untimely death of Democratic strategist and |
|
|
commentator Harold Lee Cook III on November 10, 2022, at the age |
|
|
of 61; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, Born in Houston on January 16, 1961, to Martha |
|
|
Rondeaux Cook and Harold L. Cook Jr., "Tres" Cook grew up with a |
|
|
sister, Martha, and graduated from Bellaire High School; he |
|
|
worked on offshore oil rigs and played in piano bars before |
|
|
getting around to finishing his bachelor's degree at the |
|
|
University of Houston in 1988; finding his calling in politics, |
|
|
he served as an aide to then-State Representative Debra Danburg |
|
|
and went on to work for two Texas secretaries of state under |
|
|
Governor Ann Richards; he was team leader of web marketing and |
|
|
public relations for the General Land Office and advised scores |
|
|
of aspiring and elected officials, ranging from promising |
|
|
neophytes to stars such as President Bill Clinton and Governor |
|
|
Ann Richards; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, In the late 1990s, Mr. Cook became executive |
|
|
director of the Texas Democratic Party; a man of great warmth and |
|
|
charm, with a wicked sense of humor, he became fast friends with |
|
|
his opposite number in the Republican Party, and he enjoyed |
|
|
sparring with him and many other pals on the other side of the |
|
|
aisle; his daring, finesse, creativity, and people-wrangling |
|
|
skills were on full display during the 2003 quorum break, when 11 |
|
|
Democratic state senators holed up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in |
|
|
a desperate bid to derail a redistricting bill; with his |
|
|
assistance, they withstood extreme pressure for more than six |
|
|
weeks, bringing a national spotlight to the issue and energizing |
|
|
the party; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Cook brought his acerbic wit and keen |
|
|
insight to the launch of the Spectrum News program Capital |
|
|
Tonight, contributing to its early success; a featured |
|
|
commentator, he seldom missed a show, and after suffering a |
|
|
stroke, he was back on the air in three weeks; his engaging |
|
|
blog and social media posts were must-reads for the political |
|
|
set; over the years, he extended his family with a large |
|
|
collection of friends, including the legendary Molly Ivins; |
|
|
knowing his love of far West Texas, as her days waned, she sold |
|
|
him her beautiful lot in Marathon; he built himself a small |
|
|
casita with a big porch, where he and his exuberant dog, |
|
|
Travis, liked to hold court and watch the sunset; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, Harold Cook approached the rough-and-tumble world |
|
|
of politics with a big heart as well as a shrewd mind, and his |
|
|
loss is keenly felt by all who were privileged to share in the |
|
|
richness of his life; now, therefore, be it |
| |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
|
|
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Harold Lee Cook |
|
|
III and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: |
|
|
to his sister, Martha Payne, and her husband, Tom; to his nephew, |
|
|
Matthew Payne; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, |
|
|
be it further |
| |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
|
|
prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns |
|
|
this day, it do so in memory of Harold Cook. |
| |
|
|
Alvarado |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gutierrez |
Menéndez |
Whitmire |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Patrick, President of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
|
President of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I hereby certify that the |
|
|
|
above Resolution was adopted by |
|
|
|
the Senate on May 26, 2023, by a |
|
|
|
rising vote. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
|
Member, Texas Senate |
