RANGELEY – Douglas Alfred Cooke was born in Montpelier, VT on July 19, 1961 to Douglas Mortimer and Jacqueline Cooke. He passed away on Sept. 5, 2022 after a lifetime of medical issues. But anyone who knew Doug, knew he kept striving to do new things his entire life.
He moved to the Rangeley region with his Dad and brother, Richard, in 1975 and lived a rural life where he found his love for fishing and hunting on Little Kennebago. He later worked as a teenager for Grant’s Camps on Kennebago Lake where he worked on Rangeley boats, helped visiting fishermen, hauled firewood, and in his words “cleaned ungodly amounts of fish!” He even said he would sometimes trade the fish out so the anglers could feast on a larger fish!
He attended Rangeley Lakes Regional School and graduated in 1980. During his high school career, he found his passion for basketball…not surprising as he was 6’3”. He excelled in the sport and went on to play for SMVTI (now SMCC).
In 1990, he picked up a golf club for the first time and quickly found out it was his new favorite thing to do. He learned the sport, developed a great swing and soon after started teaching lessons at Evergreen Golf Course. He even taught lessons in Port St. Lucie, FL. He worked at Mingo Springs Golf Course for many years and continued to teach lessons this summer. We know there are a lot of ladies who are going to miss his advice…when in doubt look to the sky and say “WWDD”?
CARS…well he surely loved cars! GTO, Duster, Trans Am, Z28, Corvette, Audi, Mustang, the list goes on and on and on.
He also learned to play the guitar and liked to play along with his stereo whenever he could…classic rock and roll was his favorite and he enjoyed the .38 Special concert only a few weeks ago.
Doug’s friends were his family and he especially enjoyed the time when he lived in Rangeley with Jerry Galusha. He said “those were the best years of my life.” They hunted, fished, played golf and just had a wonderful friendship.
Doug was predeceased by his mother, father and brother but he had strong parental influence in his life during his teenage years from Steve and Joann Bean, Malcolm and Joanne Webber, Eldon and Elaine Collins, Dennis and Rita Frost and Ray and Evelyn Soriano. Later in life, Lee and Verna Holman, Alice Spiller and numerous others were his family.
We know Doug is forever grateful for the friendship he developed with Karen Mayo of Portland. He spent the last week of his life with her and was visited by dozens of friends from high school to current day. She easily opened her doors to anyone that wanted to come and spend time with Doug. He was able to walk a nearby beach with his niece, Jacqueline and her family and he was happy to have his nephew, Dallas and Dallas’ mother, Denise, fly in unexpectedly. Denise and Karen were instrumental in keeping Doug comfortable until he was moved to Androscoggin Hospice House where he passed peacefully with his friends, Jerry, Tami and Paul by his side.
Doug’s surviving family includes his niece, Jacqueline Morton of Strong, and husband Jon and their two children, Charlie and Cody; his nephew, Dallas Cooke of Robinson, IL and wife Samantha and their daughter, Harper; and his niece, Cheyenne Cooke of Pompano Beach, FL.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rangeley Lakes Regional School Golf Team, 43 Mendolia Rd, Rangeley, ME 04970. Per Doug’s wishes, there will be no service.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 488 Farmington Falls Rd., Farmington, ME 04938.
