Town Honors Retiring Fire Capt. Cooke

Capt. Donald Cooke retired Thursday after 32 years, and his last shift was spent battling a two-alarm blaze at a Wilmington glass company.

Cooke was among the North Reading firefighters who assisted the Wilmington Fire Department in fighting the fire at Contract Glass Inc. at 225 Andover St. on Wednesday. Cooke and his team responded to the fire Wednesday morning and returned to North Reading around 6 p.m., said firefighter Kevin Carter. 

When Cooke's final shift ended at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the fire department held a celebratory breakfast with all the town's firefighters and friends from departments in area towns, including Lynnfield, Middleton, Wilmington and Reading, Carter said.

The Board of Selectmen paid tribute to Cooke at its meeting on Monday night, thanking him for his three decades of service.

“He has been a tremendous public servant,” Selectman Stephen O’Leary said. “I wish him a good, long, happy retirement.”

Selectman Sean Delaney, vice chairman of the board, recalled when he was first running for office. He said he was meeting with Chief Richard Harris, and about six other firefighters were questioning him until Cooke stepped in.

“Don came to my rescue,” Delaney said.

Firefighter Tom Harris will be promoted to acting captain, a position in which he will remain until the next civil service exam, Town Administrator Greg Balukonis said. Harris has served as a firefighter since 1982, according to the North Reading Fire Department website.