Floyd M. Cook

Floyd M. Cook, 89, of Salem, AL passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 .

Funeral services will be held 1:00 EDT/12:00 CDT Saturday, March 26, 2016 at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Crawford, AL.  Interment will follow at the church cemetery.  The family will receive friends Friday evening from 5 to 7 EDT /4 to 6 CDT at the Vance Memorial Chapel.

Mr. Cook was born June 11, 1926 in Pensacola, FL to the late James Edward Cook and Margaret Gandy Cook. He was a veteran of WWII and served as a Naval Reservist from 1942 to 1944. He served in the Pacific Theater and was honorably discharged as Coxman V-6(Third Class Boats man).

He served aboard LSM338 during the occupation of Japan by hauling supplies, troops, material and supervising of arm disposal in waters around Japan. After the service, he attended the University of Florida and received a degree in Forestry (BSF) in 1950. He took a summer job with the U.S. forest Service at Mendocino National Forest to do timber stand improvement and assisted in fighting forest fires.

After moving back to Pensacola he applied for and received a job as Muscogee County Forest Ranger (Forester) with the Georgia Forestry Commission beginning in March 1952. He met his future wife in Columbus, Miss Josephine Littleton of Salem, AL and they were married January 15, 1954 at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. He joined the Muscogee County Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad and worked mainly with a jeep with a fire plow until more equipment was bought.

Mr. Cook organized the Smokey Bear Junior Forest Ranger Camp where young boys could be taught to appreciate woodlands. With the help of local merchants on both sides of the Chattahoochee River providing supplies and material, the camp was built on Schatulga road in Muscogee County on land leased from Spencer and Virginia Waddell family. The camp saw boys from most surrounding counties and was sponsored by the Chattahoochee Valley Fair Exposition and other business and organizations. Subjects taught were tree identification, use of a compass, wood identification, tree planting, land measuring and the list goes on.

During this time he appeared on many local TV programs; The Rozell Show, The Ridley Bell Show, Miss Patsy’s Show and several other weekly programs on WLTZ-38 and on Channel 54. He wrote a feature article for several years for the magazine section of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, regular articles for the Enquirer as well as providing Fire Danger Rating for both papers.

He promoted various forestry projects through the Chattahoochee Valley Fair Expo for 25 years with exhibits. Working with the City Clerk of Columbus, he was able to have Columbus designated as the first “Tree City U.S.A” in Georgia. He served as both Area Forester and Urban Forester for Muscogee County.

He held workshops for all that were interested in urban forestry programs inviting speakers from the U.S. Forest Service and universities. The speakers would often join him on his weekly show on Channel 38.  He held tree pruning demonstrations, conducted safety programs in all the Muscogee County schools and remained a member of the County Volunteer Fire Department for many years. He taught first aid for the American Red Cross to nurses in training also. He retired from the Georgia Forestry Commission November 1, 1982, but was a Consulting Forester for many years.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Josephine Littleton Cook; and two brothers, Rufus G. Cook and Edward James Cook.

He is survived his daughters, Patricia Cook Land and John of Salem and JoAnn Perrella and Guy of Salem; grandchildren, Matthew Drake Perrella, Carson Elaine Perrella, Joseph Eugene Perrella and Derek Madison Land: several nieces and nephews, and many caring friends.

Online condolences can be made at www.vancememorialchapel.net.