Public Viewing will be Thursday, July 23, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at W. E. Lusain Chapel #3, 249 6th Ave. SW, Birmingham, AL, 35211 

Funeral service will be Friday, July 24, 2020, 11 a.m. at Dawson Memorial, 1114 Oxmoor Road, Birmingham, AL 35209.  Graveside to follow at Elmwood Cemetery.  Services will live stream at www. lusain.com

Woodrow "Woody" Cook Jr. was born on June 12th ,1950 to the late Woodrow Cook Sr. and Eloise Maye Cook in Meridian, MS. He was the first of three children and often followed his mom around the countryside as she spread the gospel of Christ as a Bible Worker. He was baptized at age 12 by Elder Williams at the Ephesus SDA Church, Meridian, MS. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Allen and Luella Mamie Matthews Maye.

Although he never saw a Friday night football game, he played trombone all throughout his years at Harris and Meridian High Schools. By the time the class of 1969 graduated, Woody had already developed a love of computers and followed his dream to Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated with an Associates in Computer Science from Herzing Institute in 1972.

The new graduate needed shoes for the ceremony and stopped in Pizitz department store where he met a young, beautiful Mattie Smith-- that day he found the perfect shoes AND the perfect help mate. Mattie and Woody were in love, inseparable and soon married in February 1973. He worked as a janitor at the building where he would eventually be hired in order to support his growing family as first Danica and then Dayna were born.

Woody worked for UAB for 36 years. When he began his career in 1973, he was a key punch operator and as technology changed, he was promoted to Information Systems Specialist II. He loved UAB from medicine to sports to academics -- he missed nothing including Danica and Dayna's grades on the mainframe. After retiring from the IT department in August 2010, he pursued other passions.

Woody's interest led to Woody's Photography and Video Service and a position of House Manager at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Not confining his talents there, he also acted in several local plays and theater productions. He sang bass for numerous quartets and choirs throughout Meridian and Birmingham area including the Ephesus Young Inspirations in the seventies, the King's Men, and the Evelyn S. Hardy Men of Distinction Chorus of 6th Avenue Baptist Church. He enjoyed singing for over 50 years with Bro. Perry Pride.

Every Sabbath you could find him in the sound booth at Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church with his right hand A/V man Wendell Timothy. He loved the Lord and had a huge heart for service. He was incredibly self-sacrificing and always willing to help his church as a deacon, minister of music and architect of the audio visual ministry at Ephesus taking them from cassette tapes to live streams.

Daddy will be missed for his Friday night meal of brown rice, broccoli, and vegetarian Swiss Steak meals. Poppi will be missed by grandkids-- the quality time that he spent with them at home, at birthday parties, at school events-- the mundane and the big events. Bro. Cook will be missed for thoughtfully chosen birthday cards, visits to sick and shut in, and the chocolate covered macadamia nut candy from Hawaii during Christmas. Woody C or "Junior" will be missed for his laughter, his dancing, his way of capturing the perfect photo for family, friends, and strangers. His humor, the way he loved his wife and daughters and his teams (the Lakers, the Cowboys, the Crimson Tide and the UAB Blazers).

On July 17th, 2020, at 10:55am, Woody transitioned while helping a neighbor. He was doing something that was second nature to him -- helping others. His lasting legacy, that spirit of selfless service, his love of family and living your faith, is what we have to pass on along with the story of his beautiful life.

Together we look forward to seeing him again including his wife of 47 years Mattie Cook, his daughters Danica (Herman) Davis of Huntsville, AL and Dayna (Travis) Heard of Birmingham, AL; his brothers Bobby (Mattie) Feagin of Birmingham, AL, Lester Cook of Meridian, MS; his sister Cynthia Cook of Meridian, MS; his grandchildren Janelle, Jeremiah and James Davis, Gabrielle and Travis Andrew Heard; three brothers-in-law Columbus Smith, Charlie (Marilyn) Smith, and Donnie (Debra) Smith; six sisters-in-law Candus (Errol) Sango, Dorothee DeJesus, Ziann Goree, Patricia Smith Turner, Geraldine Smith and Patricia Dawson Smith; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.