Dave Cooke always referred to himself an "amateur" archaeologist - and, he was proud of that! When introduced to folks around the state, he always insisted that he was an "amateur", not a professional. Yet, he worked with professionals and he taught professionals. And, of course, we know "amateur" in Latin means, "to love". He truly loved his work in archaeology, and, he loved to share what he learned. He didn't do it for pay, it cost him money - radiocarbon dates, field and laboratory equipment, travel, and many other expenses so that archaeological preservation could proceed. He gave freely.

He started as a collector of Indian artifacts in the late 1950s - walking plowed fields along the Connecticut River with his close friend and partner, Andy Kowalsky. He often told me that back then his attitude was to develop the largest and most comprehensive collection of Native American stone tools and pottery. However, his intellectual curiosity and instinctive need to learn more about "the people" behind the artifacts lead him into the direction of a more scientific approach to archaeology and his work. He understood that he had to take his passion to a new level and he did.

Dave was self-taught. Yet, he studied and read at more than a college level. His personal library rivals those of university libraries in archaeology and history, and, I was privileged to have a "library card" at his house. Whenever we were on the phone together, he would invariably close with, "Do you need something to read?" and he would say, "I have a book on that!"

As part of his personal education, Dave began to work with professional archaeologists: Douglas Jordan (UConn), Bert Salwen (NYU), Dena Dincauze (UMass). He provided extensive information to Bert Salwen in his early study of archaeological sites in the Connecticut River Basin, and, later, to Kevin McBride in his survey of the Lower Connecticut River Valley. He became a member of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut and took a leadership role with the Albert Morgan Archaeological Society becoming the society's "Dig Director" and working with Lucianne Lavin in the significant excavations at the Morgan Site, right here in the Rocky Hill meadows. He learned from them, he employed what he learned, and, in turn, he taught them new techniques of excavation. In the 1980s with the Albert Morgan Society, he literally trained a generation of avocational archaeologists, many of which are still active today. He taught the technical aspects of controlled, scientific excavation and analysis. He created innovated ways of excavating and recovering artifacts. He was the best field technician I will ever work with.

When Dave started, there were no academic programs in archaeology in the state other than at Yale University. His archaeological classroom was in his library and in the field. And, later, when academic programs in Connecticut archaeology developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, those of us "youngsters" at UConn and elsewhere, received much of our "field training" with Dave Cooke and other amateur archaeologists.

He was one of the most active archaeologists in the state. And, in the mid-1980s, he would serve on the search committee that would hire the new state archaeologist. A new legislatively appointed office that was developed by his wife, June, as she saw the need for archaeological preservation in the state. She mobilized supporters, lobbied legislators, and saw through the passage of the new Office of State Archaeology.

I think Dave really retired from Pratt & Whitney in the early 1990s so he and I could have field "adventures" together. And, adventures we had. When June developed the concept of a Friends group for our office, and we started to actually get members, Dave jumped right in and became the "Dig Director" for FOSA, sharing his knowledge and dedication for a new group of avocational archaeologists. Membership increased because people wanted to work with Dave in the field and experience archeology firsthand. He supervised crews, shared his knowledge, kept records, and, "ran" excavations with the highest professional standards.

He and I worked side-by-side for the last 20 years. Our days often started with an early morning phone call and ended with a late night call. He was always ready to go whenever a project developed; whenever I called. Talk about dedication! When the Morgan Site was transected by a 2,000 foot trench for an irrigational water pipe, he worked for 39 consecutive days - dawn to dusk - recording and mapping features exposed by the backhoe - recovering artifacts that would have been lost. Anyone who has spent long days on an archaeological dig can appreciate the dedication and commitment he had to preservation and knowledge. He knew that if he didn't do it, the information and artifacts would be lost forever. It's an incredible achievement!

Dave was foremost an advocate for archaeological preservation. He always insisted that the Friends group should not be excavating sites unless those sites were in danger of being destroyed, either by economic development projects or by vandalism. Rarely did we ever take on a project for the sake of research alone, his goals were to stay one step ahead of a bulldozer, or to ward off potential vandals. His conservation ethic was consistent with that of the professional archaeological community around the country.

He was the first amateur archaeologist to my knowledge that helped organize the reburial of Native American skeletal remains in Connecticut. And, he did this before there were state and federal laws requiring reburials.

He was strong in his convictions. He was very proud of his New England roots and often when we worked on Colonial Period projects, Dave would do the research and find an "ancestral" connection. "Those are my relatives!"

When we would travel around the state to various new projects, Dave and I would meet people and every time Dave would find a connection with that person. Someone they both knew, a place, an artist, an event, a common interest. He always made a connection with people and I cannot tell you how many doors he opened for us with his personality alone.

On a personal note, Dave was like the brother I never had. And, he probably won't want it to be public knowledge, but he cared very deeply about his family, friends and work. I saw his eyes well up more than once when he learned that someone had a problem. Knowing Dave he won't want you to be aware that he could get emotional, but, he truly cared about all of us.

I'll miss him - every time the phone rings at home in the early morning or at night after Jeopardy, I still think it is Dave on the line. Of course wanting to know if I got Final Jeopardy right, and, needless to say, he was more frequently right than me.

I'll miss him - whenever someone brings me a challenging artifact to identify. I knew the right person to call. Dave was the absolute best at identifying material culture. He was one of the very few that was proficient in Native American, Colonial, and Industrial artifacts. And, if he didn't know, he always had a great suggestion.

I'll miss him - whenever we excavate an archaeological site and have a field problem to solve. We will think, "What would Dave do?" There will always be an empty feeling, not having his counsel by our side.

I'll miss him - and his humor. He always had a comic line or comment. Dry humor. No real jokes. Ad libs always getting a laugh. He made being in the field fun. The happiest times I remember with him are working in the field. He was in his element and it showed.

He was the last of a generation of amateur archaeologists that started in the 1960s, before cultural resource protection laws where established, before Native American tribes in Connecticut had the political influence to protect their sacred sites and burials, and before there were any professional archaeologists actively working in the state. Dave Cooke was preserving and salvaging archaeological sites that would have been lost forever if not for his personal efforts.

He was the uncle you never had.

A man at home with nature. He loved history and sharing his knowledge. He opened his heart and his home while remaining humble.

A patriot whose second life was preserving Connecticut's history via archaeology.

Lean, tall and proud. If Connecticut ever had a modern-day hero, Dave would easily qualify.

We will all miss you, Dave. Rest assured that you will never be forgotten.

Hand Saint Peter a trowel, and tell him to "Keep Digging."

  -  Len Messina