CLEMMONS — Father Brian Joseph Cook died peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in his beloved “ Clemmons Cabin,” surrounded by loving friends. He was 67 and had served as a priest for nearly 38 years.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Family Catholic Church in Clemmons at noon Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, preceded by a viewing from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the parish’s Holy Spirit Chapel. A committal service date at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, is to be determined.
Father Cook was born the youngest of six children on May 16, 1956, to John Bernard and Elizabeth Stanley Cook and raised in the Washington, D.C., area. He graduated from Gonzaga College High School, Marquette University, and Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. While growing up in Takoma Park, Md., he met a young parish priest who was later to become the third Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte: William G. Curlin. Then-Father Curlin had a profound influence on the young boy’s life, inspiring him to later become a priest.
He was ordained by Cardinal James Hickey on Dec. 7, 1985, for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Then-Monsignor Curlin preached at his first Mass the following day. Father Cook recounted the homily in a 2020 interview with the Catholic News Herald: “He looked out at the congregation and said, ‘Father, there is your family. Love your people. If you love your people, they will do anything for the Church and they will do anything for you. If you do not love your people, they will not cross the street to say hello.’ That has always stuck with me. Certainly in my ministry I have tried to love whatever congregation I am serving.”
Father Cook devoted much of his life to working with the sick, first in healthcare and later as a priest. In the Washington area he worked as a paramedic, then later in respiratory therapy in a hospital, and then ministering as a priest to the sick and dying in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice facilities.
He served in several parishes in the Washington Archdiocese, yet among his most treasured assignments was assisting then-Monsignor Curlin at Gift of Peace, Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity’s home for people dying of AIDS. At that time, there was no treatment for the disease, and his experience there had a lasting impact on him.
He considered ministry to the sick and dying among his most important work as a priest, and later in life, that experience gave him a new appreciation as he began suffering health problems himself. “When the tables are turned and it is you in the hospital bed and you see the smiling face of a priest, a deacon or a Eucharistic minister coming around the corner to bring you the gift of the Eucharist or provide the anointing of the sick, I can’t tell you what power that sacrament has,” he said.
After Bishop Curlin was appointed Bishop of Charlotte, he invited Father Cook in 2002 to serve as parochial vicar of Holy Family Catholic Parish in Clemmons. In 2007, Father Cook was appointed pastor of St. Leo the Great Catholic Parish in Winston-Salem by Bishop Peter J. Jugis. Father Cook also served on the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities
Diocese of Charlotte. He retired from active ministry in 2020.
Father Cook enjoyed all aspects of ministry, but he most treasured his time instructing the students of St. Leo Catholic School during Friday Masses, offering guidance to those in crisis, and ministering to the sick and dying at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
A passionate outdoorsman, he loved annual trips to Wyoming and Montana for hikes, fly fishing lessons on the Yellowstone River and long walks at Tanglewood Park with his beloved dogs Abigail, Marigold, Daisy and Gracie Mae. He loved all Washington, D.C., and Maryland college and professional sports, was a lifelong student of United States history, and was a voracious reader.
In his final days, Father Cook sent a message of hope and uplift to family and friends:
“Whether I have had the privilege of knowing and loving you for many years as either family or friends, please know how wonderful it has been to share this journey with you. I trust implicitly in God’s love and mercy and believe that it is present for both you and me. St Therese told us that she would spend her heaven doing good on earth, I pray that I will have the same opportunity to do so for you who have been so good to me. Please know that I carry you and yours in my heart and in my prayers.”
Father Cook was preceded in death by his parents, John Bernard and Elizabeth Stanley Cook; and his sisters, Sister Catherine Cook of the Poor Clares and Mary Anne Clancy.
He is survived by his siblings James (Rita) Cook, Carolyn (Kevin) O’Brien and Thomas (Carol) Cook; several nieces and nephews; and the hundreds of friends, parishioners, and patients to whom he loved and ministered.
Father Cook’s family and friends wish to thank the doctors and nurses of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, under the extraordinary guidance and management of Dr. Francis X. O’Brien, for their 16-year commitment of care of Father Cook. Dr. O’Brien created, coordinated and monitored a complex healthcare plan which allowed for an exceptional quality of life. May God bless and reward you all.
Salem Funeral and Cremation Services in Winston-Salem is in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald. Photos courtesy of St. Leo the Great Parish and School, and FaithHealth at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
