David Larry Cook, born on May 4, 1949, passed away on Sept. 6, 2022. He lived in Orick since childhood. He is survived by his wife, Anna Cook, and his daughters Sarah Monedero and Natasha O’Loughlin. He has five grandchildren and a large extended family.

David was known for his love of the outdoors — fishing, hunting, and camping. Even though David was legally blind he did many types of jobs: fishing, logging, teaching, and was a martial arts instructor. David was a storyteller which is why he was such a good fisherman. His passion was to talk and one of his favorite stories to tell was how he survived a bear fight. He was funny and kind and was the type of person who would give someone the shirt off his back. He made many sacrifices for his family, David and his wife cared for his brother and mother for many years until their passing. He was a strong man with an even bigger heart for his family and friends.

David suffered a life-changing stroke in 2014 that forever changed his abilities to speak and walk. He had been living with chronic lung conditions, speech aphasia and limited mobility, which stole his ability to communicate and be active, all things he loved to do. David did overcome his disabilities and managed to still enjoy his days watching old western shows and giving his grandkids rides on his wheelchair. It was a sad day when his granddaughter Annahi got too big to ride on the back of the wheelchair because they started to do wheelies.

The family would like to thank Dr. Abassi and the nursing staff at Mad River Hospital for helping David and us through this hard time and making David as comfortable as possible. He passed away in his sleep next to his wife Anna, which is all we could ask for. We would like to thank Ayres Family Cremation for their services and compassion during this difficult time.

We will have a memorial/celebration on May 6. Further information will be provided on a location and time.

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The obituary above was submitted by David Cook’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.