The Honorable Lawrence H. Cooke of Monticello, former Chief Judge of the State of New York, died Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000, at home. He was 85.
The son of the late Sullivan County Judge George L. Cooke and Mary Pond Cooke, he was born Oct. 15, 1914, in Monticello.
He graduated from Monticello High School and then graduated, cum laude, from Georgetown University, ultimately receiving its John Carroll Award.
He received an LLB and LLD (hon) from Albany Law School, Union University and an LLD (hon) from Siena College, as well as similar degrees from Brooklyn Law School, NYU, Pace University and Syracuse University.
After his admission to the New York Bar in 1938, he was an individual practitioner until his election as Sullivan County Judge, Surrogate and Children's Court Judge in 1954. He was named to the New York Supreme Court in 1962 and was elevated to the Appellate Division, Third Department, in 1969.
He was subsequently elected to the New York Court of Appeals as an Associate Justice and appointed Chief Judge of that Court by Governor Hugh Carey in 1979. As Chief Judge, he served as Chairman of the Conference of Chief Judges and became President of the National Center for State Courts in 1982. Judge Cooke served as Supervisor of the Town of Thompson and became Chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors in 1947.
He was active in firefighter organizations and served as president of the Monticello Fire Department, Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters Association and the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association. He was recently awarded the "Golden Trumpet Award" by the Firemen's Association of the State of New York.
He was a member of St. Peter's R.C. Church, Monticello and received awards from other religious denominations. He was keynote speaker for International Jewish Jurists and Lawyers Convention in Jerusalem and received the Golda Meir Memorial Award from the Jewish Lawyers Guild.
He was awarded the Torch of Liberty by B'nai B'rith. Judge Cooke was proud of his association with women's Bar organizations throughout the State and received awards recognizing the reforms he had initiated on their behalf.
He was keenly interested in first amendment issues and was honored by the New York Society of Newspaper Editors in 1985 in granting him their Friend of the Press award. At the time of his death, Lawrence Cooke was Of Counsel to the Albany Law Firm of Couch, White, Brenner and Feigenbaum and served as a member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Jeffersonville.
The son of the late Sullivan County Judge George L. Cooke and Mary Pond Cooke, he was born Oct. 15, 1914, in Monticello.
He graduated from Monticello High School and then graduated, cum laude, from Georgetown University, ultimately receiving its John Carroll Award.
He received an LLB and LLD (hon) from Albany Law School, Union University and an LLD (hon) from Siena College, as well as similar degrees from Brooklyn Law School, NYU, Pace University and Syracuse University.
After his admission to the New York Bar in 1938, he was an individual practitioner until his election as Sullivan County Judge, Surrogate and Children's Court Judge in 1954. He was named to the New York Supreme Court in 1962 and was elevated to the Appellate Division, Third Department, in 1969.
He was subsequently elected to the New York Court of Appeals as an Associate Justice and appointed Chief Judge of that Court by Governor Hugh Carey in 1979. As Chief Judge, he served as Chairman of the Conference of Chief Judges and became President of the National Center for State Courts in 1982. Judge Cooke served as Supervisor of the Town of Thompson and became Chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors in 1947.
He was active in firefighter organizations and served as president of the Monticello Fire Department, Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters Association and the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association. He was recently awarded the "Golden Trumpet Award" by the Firemen's Association of the State of New York.
He was a member of St. Peter's R.C. Church, Monticello and received awards from other religious denominations. He was keynote speaker for International Jewish Jurists and Lawyers Convention in Jerusalem and received the Golda Meir Memorial Award from the Jewish Lawyers Guild.
He was awarded the Torch of Liberty by B'nai B'rith. Judge Cooke was proud of his association with women's Bar organizations throughout the State and received awards recognizing the reforms he had initiated on their behalf.
He was keenly interested in first amendment issues and was honored by the New York Society of Newspaper Editors in 1985 in granting him their Friend of the Press award. At the time of his death, Lawrence Cooke was Of Counsel to the Albany Law Firm of Couch, White, Brenner and Feigenbaum and served as a member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Jeffersonville.
The Honorable Lawrence H. Cooke of Monticello, former Chief Judge of the State of New York, died Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000, at home. He was 85.
The son of the late Sullivan County Judge George L. Cooke and Mary Pond Cooke, he was born Oct. 15, 1914, in Monticello.
He graduated from Monticello High School and then graduated, cum laude, from Georgetown University, ultimately receiving its John Carroll Award.
He received an LLB and LLD (hon) from Albany Law School, Union University and an LLD (hon) from Siena College, as well as similar degrees from Brooklyn Law School, NYU, Pace University and Syracuse University.
After his admission to the New York Bar in 1938, he was an individual practitioner until his election as Sullivan County Judge, Surrogate and Children's Court Judge in 1954. He was named to the New York Supreme Court in 1962 and was elevated to the Appellate Division, Third Department, in 1969.
He was subsequently elected to the New York Court of Appeals as an Associate Justice and appointed Chief Judge of that Court by Governor Hugh Carey in 1979. As Chief Judge, he served as Chairman of the Conference of Chief Judges and became President of the National Center for State Courts in 1982. Judge Cooke served as Supervisor of the Town of Thompson and became Chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors in 1947.
He was active in firefighter organizations and served as president of the Monticello Fire Department, Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters Association and the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association. He was recently awarded the "Golden Trumpet Award" by the Firemen's Association of the State of New York.
He was a member of St. Peter's R.C. Church, Monticello and received awards from other religious denominations. He was keynote speaker for International Jewish Jurists and Lawyers Convention in Jerusalem and received the Golda Meir Memorial Award from the Jewish Lawyers Guild.
He was awarded the Torch of Liberty by B'nai B'rith. Judge Cooke was proud of his association with women's Bar organizations throughout the State and received awards recognizing the reforms he had initiated on their behalf.
He was keenly interested in first amendment issues and was honored by the New York Society of Newspaper Editors in 1985 in granting him their Friend of the Press award. At the time of his death, Lawrence Cooke was Of Counsel to the Albany Law Firm of Couch, White, Brenner and Feigenbaum and served as a member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Jeffersonville.
The son of the late Sullivan County Judge George L. Cooke and Mary Pond Cooke, he was born Oct. 15, 1914, in Monticello.
He graduated from Monticello High School and then graduated, cum laude, from Georgetown University, ultimately receiving its John Carroll Award.
He received an LLB and LLD (hon) from Albany Law School, Union University and an LLD (hon) from Siena College, as well as similar degrees from Brooklyn Law School, NYU, Pace University and Syracuse University.
After his admission to the New York Bar in 1938, he was an individual practitioner until his election as Sullivan County Judge, Surrogate and Children's Court Judge in 1954. He was named to the New York Supreme Court in 1962 and was elevated to the Appellate Division, Third Department, in 1969.
He was subsequently elected to the New York Court of Appeals as an Associate Justice and appointed Chief Judge of that Court by Governor Hugh Carey in 1979. As Chief Judge, he served as Chairman of the Conference of Chief Judges and became President of the National Center for State Courts in 1982. Judge Cooke served as Supervisor of the Town of Thompson and became Chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors in 1947.
He was active in firefighter organizations and served as president of the Monticello Fire Department, Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters Association and the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association. He was recently awarded the "Golden Trumpet Award" by the Firemen's Association of the State of New York.
He was a member of St. Peter's R.C. Church, Monticello and received awards from other religious denominations. He was keynote speaker for International Jewish Jurists and Lawyers Convention in Jerusalem and received the Golda Meir Memorial Award from the Jewish Lawyers Guild.
He was awarded the Torch of Liberty by B'nai B'rith. Judge Cooke was proud of his association with women's Bar organizations throughout the State and received awards recognizing the reforms he had initiated on their behalf.
He was keenly interested in first amendment issues and was honored by the New York Society of Newspaper Editors in 1985 in granting him their Friend of the Press award. At the time of his death, Lawrence Cooke was Of Counsel to the Albany Law Firm of Couch, White, Brenner and Feigenbaum and served as a member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Jeffersonville.
