EAST ORANGE, NJ — On May 29, the city of East Orange honored former Mayor Thomas Cooke Jr., who died May 18, by renaming in his honor the corner of Hawthorne and Central avenues, a place he called home for more than three decades. Viewers watched as the virtual ceremony was broadcast via the city’s Facebook page.
Cooke was beloved throughout the city and was recently honored with a 2019 Lifetime Citizens Award by the city of East Orange and posthumously honored as 2020 grand marshal during this year’s Memorial Day Ceremony.
“His contributions and legacy in our community will not be forgotten, especially his tenacious fight to keep East Orange clean and healthy,” Mayor Ted Green said. “Mayor Thomas Cooke Jr. was a man of dignity, service and pride. He served our country and our city with such great honor and he set the tone in our city as a pioneering, no-nonsense leader who pulled no punches and set high expectations for everyone around him. From fighting for the rights of tenants and homeowners to stabilizing the tax base and recruiting businesses to invest in East Orange, Mayor Cooke was first and foremost a community advocate who put the people’s needs first.”
As a two-term mayor who held office between 1978 and 1986, Cooke’s focus on restoring the city’s tax base garnered national attention from The New York Times and every television station across the region highlighting his campaign against slumlords. His administration also presided over the construction of housing for seniors and the public auction of foreclosed properties.
“Mayor Cooke was a trailblazing community servant, whose body of work changed the lives of so many,” East Orange Council Chairman Christopher James said. “Few elected or appointed leaders share a legacy of service like his — from serving as a school teacher to helping veterans, to his role as an Essex County freeholder to East Orange’s first black councilman and finally as mayor of our great city. In addition, Mayor Cooke served nationally as a leader in the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mayor Cooke’s ultimate expression of sacrifice is marked by his service in the Korean War. His life has left an indelible mark on our city. He represents the pinnacle of service locally, regionally, nationally and globally. On behalf of the East Orange City Council, thank you to the family of Mayor Cooke. We are honored to follow in his footsteps on the City Council.”
Cooke’s professional career began as an educator in Newark Public Schools and included elected terms and leadership positions on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders and East Orange City Council. He was also a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities and National Council of Black Mayors.
Cooke died at age 90 due to COVID-19 complications after battling a lengthy illness.
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