Douglas Irving Cooke passed peacefully on Monday, February 10, 2021, at the glorious age of 78.

He was born in Newark, NJ on September 28, 1942, to Frederick Douglas and Ruth Mitchell Cooke. He was a 1960 graduate of Central High School in Newark.

After serving in the United States Army for four years, he went on to work as a mail carrier for 35 years at the Irvington, NJ, United States Postal Service. Upon retirement, he indulged his love of jazz music, outdoor concerts, and televised sporting events.

He will always be loved and remembered by his wife of 48 years, Amy Cooke, and his daughter, Nicole Cooke; siblings Bruce (Barbara Mitchell); Barry Gordon (both of Newark, NJ); and Karen C. Jessie, Somerset, NJ; five nieces and nephews; and a host of cousins and friends. Douglas was preceded in death by his father, mother, and sister Kathleen Cooke Burt.

In lieu of flowers, the Cooke family would appreciate donations to the Institute of Jazz Studies' Endowment Fund, Rutgers University Libraries in memory of Douglas Cooke.