David Horton Cook passed away of cancer on August 6, 2021, at the age of 55. He was a remarkable and beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend as well as a healer, musician, teacher, and seeker. He filled up any room with his bright and generous light—a light that amplified his love, kindness, and sensitivity and was expressed through his creativity, humor, generosity, and intuitive healing.

David was born in Hickory, North Carolina on July 23, 1966, but moved with his mother Sally to Southern California while he was still an infant after her divorce. His mother later married David’s step-father Jesse Jaramillo, and David was raised with his step-siblings and half-brother. He spent his formative years with an intense interest in karate. He graduated from Fontana High in 1984, attended Chaffey Community College where he studied classical guitar, and later transferred to UC San Diego where he earned a music degree in 1992. His love of music expanded beyond classical guitar to include rock, pop, jazz, and eventually a focus on bluegrass. Music was his language.

After college, David moved to San Francisco. While he pursued his interest in music performance, David trained and practiced as a licensed massage therapist and also taught music and yoga. He eventually was inspired to expand his healing practice to Chinese Medicine as an acupuncturist and an herbalist. His medical practice was a central part of his life after he earned his degree and license. While working as an acupuncturist at Kaiser Permanente, David treated thousands of patients and helped them to alleviate their pain.

David incorporated a number of meditative practices in his life, and was inspired by the practice of kundalini yoga and by Buddhist thinking. The awareness and centering of his practice and studies permeated his life in multiple ways: in his friendships, his career, and in his personal growth.

In Oakland, he met the love of his life, Jenny—a grace and joy that filled his life with abundance and happiness. They married and enjoyed a life together in Berkeley and Marin County, and most significantly the birth of their two children, Sierra and Kai. It was with his two children that David experienced his greatest pride and accomplishment.

David enjoyed many things throughout his life as a father. After going on permanent disability in 2016, he became a stay-at-home dad, and parenting was something he adored. He loved watching shows and movies with his family, taking his children to school, going on vacations and being in nature, reading and making music with his children, and most of all he loved his family. David was a wonderful father and he was happy to just listen to the way his kids viewed the world. He gave his children unconditional support, love, and appreciation.

Jenny, Sierra, and Kai proved to be a central foundation to the happiness he found in life even as the challenges of his illness confronted him following his diagnosis in 2015 with a thymic carcinoid. It was their great love that served as a cornerstone for him throughout the storms he weathered.

Many did not know that David was from a divorced family and had five siblings across the country in North Carolina, who he did not meet until he was 11 years old. David was particularly close to his brother Bill with whom he enjoyed a musical synergy. Bill was an incredible support to David and his family, coming from New York to help him during the last months of his life.

David is survived by his family—his daughter Sierra, his son Kai, his wife Jenny, along with his numerous siblings, step-siblings, in-laws, nieces, and nephews. 

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