The college mourns the loss of student Brad Cook

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By Stephen Cook

In Tracy Bedell’s Business Law II class, there was an empty seat on Oct. 28 – the absent student normally had near perfect attendance. Brad Cook was the student that normally filled that seat.

Cook had been missing since Oct. 20 and Bedell’s weekly Monday night class on Oct. 28 marked his second consecutive absence.

That night, the class learned Cook had gone missing. Dead silence filled the room and looks of disbelief occupied the faces of students.

In hopes that he might arrive late, the class saved a seat and left a test on his desk.

“I was passing out the test and [a student who sat by Brad] said, ‘You might leave a test in case Brad comes in,’ Bedell said. “So I put the test down and of course he never came in. After the test she brought it back to me and she said, ‘I don’t think he’s going to show up for the test.’”

Bedell knew his first absence was unusual. She got a call from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department a couple days later asking for information.

“Brad was one of these people that, he was larger than life,” Bedell said. “I mean Brad was the kind of guy that when he was in a room, you knew he was there because he was always contributing, he was always in a good mood, he was happy, he would laugh, he would joke, he was a very respectful young man.”

Vanessa Fahle, a student who was in his class, remembers how Cook had a great personality.

“He was a very fun guy, he was real nice, he seemed like he would do anything for any of his classmates,” Fahle said.

Fahle remembers Cook would smile all the time.

“That’s what I’m going to remember about him is just his laughter and his smile,” Fahle said. “Like every time he would be sitting out in the hallway and I’d walk down the hallway he was just always smiling.”

In the classroom, Bedell said he always enjoyed learning.

“He loved going to school here,” she said. “He was one of those kids that if he didn’t understand something he would ask and if he couldn’t solve something he would ask for help and he would always help others, but it was just the basic level of inquisitiveness and I always loved seeing his learning process.”

Bedell believes other students in the class enjoyed being with him because they were able to better learn through his habit of asking questions.

“As a teacher, you love that,” Bedell said. “That’s why you teach is to have those students that are constantly challenging you and constantly wanting to learn and that they’re not afraid, they’re not intimidated by the group.”

On Oct. 30, a Wednesday morning, Bedell said she was about to drive back to Lawrence when she learned they had found a body.

“When I was driving back on K-10, I actually pulled off the highway and I got out my little GPS and I went and found the spot where they had found his body,” Bedell said. “I don’t really know why I did that, I think I just needed some closure, I guess I just wanted to know where he ended up; where his life ended.”

Bedell said she can’t count the number of times she’s passed by on K-10. Now, the drive will never be the same.

“Now every time I drive there it’s going to be so different,” Bedell said. “Even this morning at 6:30 when I was driving, I just kind of looked over and was like, that’s where he was; and so it’s going to be difficult.”

As his teacher, she said she is really going to miss Cook, especially due to that special bond from the classroom.

“As a teacher I think that’s your job is to care for your student not just to educate them,” Bedell said. “There’s a big void there and as a teacher, I’m grieving the loss of one of mine, one of my students.”

Contact Stephen Cook*, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu. 

*Brad Cook and Stephen Cook are not related.

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