David Isaiah Cook was our father, our protector, and a man who made community feel like family. He spent over 30 years serving the San Francisco education community, including work connected to Upward Bound, TRIO, and PACT, Inc. Dad helped anyone who wanted to learn and obtain degrees find a way—by any means necessary. It wasn’t just his job; it was his belief that we all deserve education, we all have a right to higher education, and it is never too late. If you met him, you remember him. He knew everyone, and if he didn’t know you, it was only a matter of time. He had a gift for turning strangers into friends.

Dad was civic-minded and solution-oriented. If there was a problem, he wanted to help fix it, simply because he cared about people and the greater good. He also had the soul of an artist. David created incredible work in abstract realism, and his art was one of the ways he expressed what words couldn’t always hold. His creativity, humor, and spirit live on in the people he loved and the community he poured into.

Dad battled Alzheimer’s/dementia since 2017. While we knew this day would come, his passing on October 23, 2025 has been deeply devastating, especially after the loss of our mother earlier this year. We find comfort in believing she greeted him, but we are still holding a huge gap of sadness.

We are planning a Celebration of Life in May or June. Thank you for being here, for sharing memories and photos, and for helping us honor a man who meant so much to so many.