Everyone, I thought I would share this email I received from a friend of mine. Actually, he's the oldest friend I have and he grew up with Dan Cook, that sports writer who recently passed away. For privacy, I'll leave this gentleman's name anonymous:

Dear Friends,

I have pondered about writing anything about Dan Cook. Dan was a great individual and of course the local

Admiration society certainly attest to that fact. Everything I have heard and read about Dan in the past few

Days is to his credit, but only covers the last fifty one (51) years since he came to San Antonio.



My relations is longer than that. I am nine (9) days older than Dan, having August 3rd as my birthday versus

His August 9th. I have known Dan from the streets of Houston since we were both nine (9) years old.

In fact he lived across the street from my cousins house when we first met in 1935.



Reading all of the stuff on him the last few days only attest to his never changing in all of these years. He

Was always the devil, he was a fighter and fun lover all of his life. He was a friend and dared to swim upstream

From time to time. As a kid we had a neighborhood park in Houston by the name of Cherryhurst Park. We played

Tennis attended the Friday Night Free Movies, and eventually played on a football team together as the “Cherry-

Hurst Park Tigers.” I will never forget a team that we played under the name of “The Gas House Gang.” They came

By that name because they practiced in a field next to a Sewage Disposal Plant which gave the name “Gas House

Gang.” Fittingly I would say and they came by the name honestly because of the product disposed of in the sewage

Plant. If memory serves me correctly we lost the game by one (1) point but it was a hard fought battle.



Being Catholic Dan went to the Catholic High School while I went to the Public High School and we played football

Against each other in High School. This was in 1942 when we were 16 or 17 years old.



Of course this was right at the beginning of World War II and not being old enough to enter military service we

Both attended the University of Houston while waiting to reach the age of acceptance at eighteen (18). At that

Time the University did not have an Athletic Department so a bunch of us got together and formed a basketball

Team and played local teams whenever we could schedule a game. I have a picture and newspaper clipping from

January 16th 1944 of The Daily Cougar (College Newspaper) and the story written by Mr. Dan Cook, who was the

Sports editor of the college paper. It has a picture of Dan and myself and others and the write up by Dan, announcing

That “The Cougars had beaten the Grapette Bottlers something like 51 to 22.



If my memory serves me correctly Dan wanted to be a Sports Writer all of his life and was just getting started.

He later joined the local Houston Post morning newspaper covering high school athletics. This was short lived and

He moved to Beaumont and worked for the newspaper there before coming to San Antonio.



While in college we ran together and I remember well two incidents that confirm his fighting and fun loving traits.

Close to the University of Houston campus we had a city park where we would gather with our friends and cuddle

While we roasted hot dogs around a camp fire. One evening three or four couples had engaged in such an activity

And we were “jumped” by some attackers from out of the dark night. They surprised us and we did not know what

Was going on, only to find that Dan and three or four of our other friends had gotten word that we were going to be

In the park that evening. They came at us in the dark and of course meant no harm but we did not know that and

It scared the devil out of us. It was only Dan Cook and others who wanted to play a trick on us.



About this same time Dan had a crush on a certain girl and he and another fellow, by the name of Tom Smith got

Crossways with this young lady, so it came to a “show-down” between the two. At that time South Main Street in

Houston was occupied by the old “drive-inns” and a soft-ball diamond, where the present Medical Center is now

Located. Among the crowd word got out that Dan and Tom were going to do battle so a crowd gathered at the soft

Ball diamond behind one of the drive-inns and the cars all shined their lights on the field to provide light for the fight.

It lasted for about eight (8) or nine (9) minutes until they were both exhausted and the quit with a draw.



Best fist fight I ever saw. Tom Smith ended up as a lawyer for an oil company, and of course Dan ended up as

A favorite son of San Antonio and a real legend.



As you can see nothing changed, Dan was always a fun person and a real fighter. Many of you might recall that

Dan made the saying, “the opera isn’t over until the fat lady sings,” famous.



If any of you are interested you might want to call up Http://MySA.com for more details on Dan and his life.



He was a great personality and came up the hard way, working every day of his life and building a place for

Himself and making many friends along the way. He made a impact and will be missed by many.



As we all get older I am convinced that if we can leave a valuable piece of our self here on earth for our fellow man

That is how it is suppose to be. Dan did that in so many ways.