Chuck was the 3rd child born to Charles Franklin Cook and the 2nd child to Frances Irene Cross Cook.
Chuck's story was told at his memorial service to a class of kids ranging from 10 years to 18 year olds in hopes they would not take the same life path as Chuck. My Daddy said if it kept even one person from taking this deadly path, it was worth telling his life story. This was a hard decision to make as I've been indecisive about writing his story since making this memorial on 2/24/12. I'm going to honor my Daddy's wishes and tell Chuck's life story. My prayer is that anyone reading this will take it to heart and change their life if they're already on this destructive path.
Growing up, Chuck was a funny comedian and in his teens, he taught himself to play drums. When he was 19, he was in a dark laser tag place and fell on his knees going down a ramp. It caused his thigh bone to move up and shatter his left hip. He had surgery to have 4 screws put in to put it together. About 3 months later, he got off the crutches and could walk on his own. Somehow he broke 3 of the screws and bent the fourth one. He ended up going back on crutches while the orthopedic dr. figured out how to fix it again. In the meantime, he was taking narcotic pain meds. A few weeks later, the ortho wanted to schedule surgery. Chuck didn't want to have it. All he wanted was pain pills. After a year, his ortho discharged him from his care and cut him off the pain pills. He never did have the surgery.
For 20 years, he walked around on crutches going to different drs. for pain pills until his hip joint died off. The next step would be a total hip replacement which was already scheduled at the time of his death a week later.
He had been arrested twice for falsifying pain pill RXs. He was ordered to a drug rehab. The fourth one kicked him out because he wouldn't work the program. He had gotten married 3 yrs. after the accident. He was divorced 7 yrs. into the marriage because of his drug use. He had also used illegal drugs. He would sleep up to 18 hrs. a day and when he was awake, he was nodding off. How can one enjoy their life when they can't stay awake? We all tried to help him but that doesn't work unless the person wants help. After his first arrest, my family refused to help or enable him.
He lost his home that was paid off, his new car that was also paid off because he wouldn't keep up the maintenance then lost his apartment he was renting because he wouldn't pay his rent. He ended up living in a group home for psychiatric patients. He didn't give them any of our phone numbers. He would tell people we were all conspiring against him when we had tried to help him then we couldn't have him around us. He would visit my parents but he couldn't be around his nieces and nephews. I thank God he didn't have any children. No child should be around a parent who abuses drugs.
He had high blood pressure, an enlarged heart (caused by drug use and high blood pressure), and smoked 2 ppd. On the morning of February 21, 2005, he was found dead. An autopsy showed he had high levels of 5 different narcotic pain meds, and controlled nerve pills in his system. He died from an overdose and dilated cardiomyopathy (sudden death due to drug induced heart failure). He was scheduled for a hip replacement on February 28th. A nurse from the hospital called to find out why Chuck didn't show up and was told of his death. She did have my sister's number and called her. Chuck had been a "John Doe" for a week until my sister went to ID him. That is when my Daddy found out he lost a son to a senseless death. He was 39; three months away from his 40th birthday. He always thought he was invincible. My Mama had died a year before him. She and Chuck were very close. Though I love and miss my Mama, it was a blessing in disguise because it would have killed her to lose a child.
I prefer to remember the real Chuck from the first 19 years of his life. After he was hooked on drugs, he wasn't the same person. To me, he died when he was 19. We never know when we'll take our last breath nor are we invincible. We are not promised tomorrow.
My brother lost everything he had. Material things, wife, friends, family and he lost the most precious gift of all: his life. Enjoy and live each day as if it is your last. Don't waste your life away like my brother did. Life is too precious! 7/22/2012
His ashes were scattered at his most favorite place in the world; Lake Martin, AL
**THANK YOU TO ALL WHO LEAVE FLOWERS/TOKENS. I AM SO APPRECIATIVE. GOD BLESS.**
Chuck's story was told at his memorial service to a class of kids ranging from 10 years to 18 year olds in hopes they would not take the same life path as Chuck. My Daddy said if it kept even one person from taking this deadly path, it was worth telling his life story. This was a hard decision to make as I've been indecisive about writing his story since making this memorial on 2/24/12. I'm going to honor my Daddy's wishes and tell Chuck's life story. My prayer is that anyone reading this will take it to heart and change their life if they're already on this destructive path.
Growing up, Chuck was a funny comedian and in his teens, he taught himself to play drums. When he was 19, he was in a dark laser tag place and fell on his knees going down a ramp. It caused his thigh bone to move up and shatter his left hip. He had surgery to have 4 screws put in to put it together. About 3 months later, he got off the crutches and could walk on his own. Somehow he broke 3 of the screws and bent the fourth one. He ended up going back on crutches while the orthopedic dr. figured out how to fix it again. In the meantime, he was taking narcotic pain meds. A few weeks later, the ortho wanted to schedule surgery. Chuck didn't want to have it. All he wanted was pain pills. After a year, his ortho discharged him from his care and cut him off the pain pills. He never did have the surgery.
For 20 years, he walked around on crutches going to different drs. for pain pills until his hip joint died off. The next step would be a total hip replacement which was already scheduled at the time of his death a week later.
He had been arrested twice for falsifying pain pill RXs. He was ordered to a drug rehab. The fourth one kicked him out because he wouldn't work the program. He had gotten married 3 yrs. after the accident. He was divorced 7 yrs. into the marriage because of his drug use. He had also used illegal drugs. He would sleep up to 18 hrs. a day and when he was awake, he was nodding off. How can one enjoy their life when they can't stay awake? We all tried to help him but that doesn't work unless the person wants help. After his first arrest, my family refused to help or enable him.
He lost his home that was paid off, his new car that was also paid off because he wouldn't keep up the maintenance then lost his apartment he was renting because he wouldn't pay his rent. He ended up living in a group home for psychiatric patients. He didn't give them any of our phone numbers. He would tell people we were all conspiring against him when we had tried to help him then we couldn't have him around us. He would visit my parents but he couldn't be around his nieces and nephews. I thank God he didn't have any children. No child should be around a parent who abuses drugs.
He had high blood pressure, an enlarged heart (caused by drug use and high blood pressure), and smoked 2 ppd. On the morning of February 21, 2005, he was found dead. An autopsy showed he had high levels of 5 different narcotic pain meds, and controlled nerve pills in his system. He died from an overdose and dilated cardiomyopathy (sudden death due to drug induced heart failure). He was scheduled for a hip replacement on February 28th. A nurse from the hospital called to find out why Chuck didn't show up and was told of his death. She did have my sister's number and called her. Chuck had been a "John Doe" for a week until my sister went to ID him. That is when my Daddy found out he lost a son to a senseless death. He was 39; three months away from his 40th birthday. He always thought he was invincible. My Mama had died a year before him. She and Chuck were very close. Though I love and miss my Mama, it was a blessing in disguise because it would have killed her to lose a child.
I prefer to remember the real Chuck from the first 19 years of his life. After he was hooked on drugs, he wasn't the same person. To me, he died when he was 19. We never know when we'll take our last breath nor are we invincible. We are not promised tomorrow.
My brother lost everything he had. Material things, wife, friends, family and he lost the most precious gift of all: his life. Enjoy and live each day as if it is your last. Don't waste your life away like my brother did. Life is too precious! 7/22/2012
His ashes were scattered at his most favorite place in the world; Lake Martin, AL
**THANK YOU TO ALL WHO LEAVE FLOWERS/TOKENS. I AM SO APPRECIATIVE. GOD BLESS.**
Chuck was the 3rd child born to Charles Franklin Cook and the 2nd child to Frances Irene Cross Cook.
Chuck's story was told at his memorial service to a class of kids ranging from 10 years to 18 year olds in hopes they would not take the same life path as Chuck. My Daddy said if it kept even one person from taking this deadly path, it was worth telling his life story. This was a hard decision to make as I've been indecisive about writing his story since making this memorial on 2/24/12. I'm going to honor my Daddy's wishes and tell Chuck's life story. My prayer is that anyone reading this will take it to heart and change their life if they're already on this destructive path.
Growing up, Chuck was a funny comedian and in his teens, he taught himself to play drums. When he was 19, he was in a dark laser tag place and fell on his knees going down a ramp. It caused his thigh bone to move up and shatter his left hip. He had surgery to have 4 screws put in to put it together. About 3 months later, he got off the crutches and could walk on his own. Somehow he broke 3 of the screws and bent the fourth one. He ended up going back on crutches while the orthopedic dr. figured out how to fix it again. In the meantime, he was taking narcotic pain meds. A few weeks later, the ortho wanted to schedule surgery. Chuck didn't want to have it. All he wanted was pain pills. After a year, his ortho discharged him from his care and cut him off the pain pills. He never did have the surgery.
For 20 years, he walked around on crutches going to different drs. for pain pills until his hip joint died off. The next step would be a total hip replacement which was already scheduled at the time of his death a week later.
He had been arrested twice for falsifying pain pill RXs. He was ordered to a drug rehab. The fourth one kicked him out because he wouldn't work the program. He had gotten married 3 yrs. after the accident. He was divorced 7 yrs. into the marriage because of his drug use. He had also used illegal drugs. He would sleep up to 18 hrs. a day and when he was awake, he was nodding off. How can one enjoy their life when they can't stay awake? We all tried to help him but that doesn't work unless the person wants help. After his first arrest, my family refused to help or enable him.
He lost his home that was paid off, his new car that was also paid off because he wouldn't keep up the maintenance then lost his apartment he was renting because he wouldn't pay his rent. He ended up living in a group home for psychiatric patients. He didn't give them any of our phone numbers. He would tell people we were all conspiring against him when we had tried to help him then we couldn't have him around us. He would visit my parents but he couldn't be around his nieces and nephews. I thank God he didn't have any children. No child should be around a parent who abuses drugs.
He had high blood pressure, an enlarged heart (caused by drug use and high blood pressure), and smoked 2 ppd. On the morning of February 21, 2005, he was found dead. An autopsy showed he had high levels of 5 different narcotic pain meds, and controlled nerve pills in his system. He died from an overdose and dilated cardiomyopathy (sudden death due to drug induced heart failure). He was scheduled for a hip replacement on February 28th. A nurse from the hospital called to find out why Chuck didn't show up and was told of his death. She did have my sister's number and called her. Chuck had been a "John Doe" for a week until my sister went to ID him. That is when my Daddy found out he lost a son to a senseless death. He was 39; three months away from his 40th birthday. He always thought he was invincible. My Mama had died a year before him. She and Chuck were very close. Though I love and miss my Mama, it was a blessing in disguise because it would have killed her to lose a child.
I prefer to remember the real Chuck from the first 19 years of his life. After he was hooked on drugs, he wasn't the same person. To me, he died when he was 19. We never know when we'll take our last breath nor are we invincible. We are not promised tomorrow.
My brother lost everything he had. Material things, wife, friends, family and he lost the most precious gift of all: his life. Enjoy and live each day as if it is your last. Don't waste your life away like my brother did. Life is too precious! 7/22/2012
His ashes were scattered at his most favorite place in the world; Lake Martin, AL
**THANK YOU TO ALL WHO LEAVE FLOWERS/TOKENS. I AM SO APPRECIATIVE. GOD BLESS.**
Chuck's story was told at his memorial service to a class of kids ranging from 10 years to 18 year olds in hopes they would not take the same life path as Chuck. My Daddy said if it kept even one person from taking this deadly path, it was worth telling his life story. This was a hard decision to make as I've been indecisive about writing his story since making this memorial on 2/24/12. I'm going to honor my Daddy's wishes and tell Chuck's life story. My prayer is that anyone reading this will take it to heart and change their life if they're already on this destructive path.
Growing up, Chuck was a funny comedian and in his teens, he taught himself to play drums. When he was 19, he was in a dark laser tag place and fell on his knees going down a ramp. It caused his thigh bone to move up and shatter his left hip. He had surgery to have 4 screws put in to put it together. About 3 months later, he got off the crutches and could walk on his own. Somehow he broke 3 of the screws and bent the fourth one. He ended up going back on crutches while the orthopedic dr. figured out how to fix it again. In the meantime, he was taking narcotic pain meds. A few weeks later, the ortho wanted to schedule surgery. Chuck didn't want to have it. All he wanted was pain pills. After a year, his ortho discharged him from his care and cut him off the pain pills. He never did have the surgery.
For 20 years, he walked around on crutches going to different drs. for pain pills until his hip joint died off. The next step would be a total hip replacement which was already scheduled at the time of his death a week later.
He had been arrested twice for falsifying pain pill RXs. He was ordered to a drug rehab. The fourth one kicked him out because he wouldn't work the program. He had gotten married 3 yrs. after the accident. He was divorced 7 yrs. into the marriage because of his drug use. He had also used illegal drugs. He would sleep up to 18 hrs. a day and when he was awake, he was nodding off. How can one enjoy their life when they can't stay awake? We all tried to help him but that doesn't work unless the person wants help. After his first arrest, my family refused to help or enable him.
He lost his home that was paid off, his new car that was also paid off because he wouldn't keep up the maintenance then lost his apartment he was renting because he wouldn't pay his rent. He ended up living in a group home for psychiatric patients. He didn't give them any of our phone numbers. He would tell people we were all conspiring against him when we had tried to help him then we couldn't have him around us. He would visit my parents but he couldn't be around his nieces and nephews. I thank God he didn't have any children. No child should be around a parent who abuses drugs.
He had high blood pressure, an enlarged heart (caused by drug use and high blood pressure), and smoked 2 ppd. On the morning of February 21, 2005, he was found dead. An autopsy showed he had high levels of 5 different narcotic pain meds, and controlled nerve pills in his system. He died from an overdose and dilated cardiomyopathy (sudden death due to drug induced heart failure). He was scheduled for a hip replacement on February 28th. A nurse from the hospital called to find out why Chuck didn't show up and was told of his death. She did have my sister's number and called her. Chuck had been a "John Doe" for a week until my sister went to ID him. That is when my Daddy found out he lost a son to a senseless death. He was 39; three months away from his 40th birthday. He always thought he was invincible. My Mama had died a year before him. She and Chuck were very close. Though I love and miss my Mama, it was a blessing in disguise because it would have killed her to lose a child.
I prefer to remember the real Chuck from the first 19 years of his life. After he was hooked on drugs, he wasn't the same person. To me, he died when he was 19. We never know when we'll take our last breath nor are we invincible. We are not promised tomorrow.
My brother lost everything he had. Material things, wife, friends, family and he lost the most precious gift of all: his life. Enjoy and live each day as if it is your last. Don't waste your life away like my brother did. Life is too precious! 7/22/2012
His ashes were scattered at his most favorite place in the world; Lake Martin, AL
**THANK YOU TO ALL WHO LEAVE FLOWERS/TOKENS. I AM SO APPRECIATIVE. GOD BLESS.**
