Alexander Hamilton (Ham) Cooke, 85, died peacefully in his sleep on May 17, 2026. Born on January 25, 1941, in Louisville, KY he was the second of three sons of Henry Thurston and Elizabeth Hamilton Davis Cooke. Ham graduated from Eastern High School in Louisville and went on to attend and graduate from Davidson College in 1963. After serving in the United States Army, Ham went to Vanderbilt University School of Law and graduated in 1968.
Ham was married to Eugenia (Genie) Ray Watson Cooke for 51 years until her death in 2015. They lived in Jacksonville, FL where Ham practiced law and Genie taught French.
Ham was an active member and Elder at Riverside Presbyterian Church where he also sang in the choir. He was active in the Jacksonville community, serving as President of the Jacksonville Bar Association, working on the Community Relations Commission, and volunteering his time with local civil and human rights organizations. He was often seen in his neighborhood carrying plastic bags filled with recyclables that he collected on his daily walks.
In 2007, Ham received the Florida Bar Foundation’s Medal of Honor, the highest award that can be bestowed upon an individual by Florida’s legal profession. He was honored for his many contributions to providing access to justice for those living in poverty, including his significant work with Jacksonville’s Habitat for Humanity affiliate, HabiJax.
Ham loved to travel, whether on the “blue highways” of this country or in any other country he could get to. He had a collection of books that would rival any library, a reflection of his insatiable curiosity about the world and other people. He never met a stranger and never missed an opportunity to ask a question. He will be remembered for his huge heart and easy laugh, his steadfast integrity, and his passion for justice.
In addition to his wife and parents, Ham is predeceased by his brothers Donald Davis Cooke and Graham Brown Cooke, sisters-in-law Carol Watson Croft and Sara Swann McLaughlin Watson and brother-in-law Timothy Lent Croft.
He is survived by his son Henry Thurston Cooke II and his wife Carla Naegele Cooke; his daughter Katherine Cooke Kerr and her husband William Ralph Kerr; grandchildren Christopher Davis Cooke and his wife Lacey Shaffer Cooke, Anne Hamilton Cooke, and Caroline Anderson Kerr; sister-in-law Martha Neal Nuckolls Cooke, brother-in-law Nat Erskine Watson, Jr., 8 nieces, one nephew and a whole lot of great nieces and nephews, all of whom he adored.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Davidson Trust, HabiJax, or to the nonprofit of your choice.
A memorial service will be held at 11 am on Friday, June 5 at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, with livestream available at www.covenantpresby.org/live.