On the recordJune 7, 2022
On Saturday, we lost Congressman John Cooksey, a former Member of this body and an outstanding American who dedicated his life to serving his country and improving the lives of others. John Cooksey was born in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1941, and grew up near his father's sawmill in rural LaSalle Parish. He attended LSU and LSU Medical School and became an ophthalmologist. His love for practicing medicine ran so deep that he continued to treat patients for nearly 50 years. Madam Speaker, just yesterday, I heard the story of a World War II veteran whose vision had become distorted because of his combat injuries. Dr. Cooksey treated him, restored the man's vision, and performed the entire surgery free of charge. Dr. Cooksey also served as a medical missionary to Africa, volunteering his time and skills to treat those desperately in need of medical care. He was so moved by his experiences there that he returned home and personally led the fundraising drive to build a modern eye clinic in Kenya. Dr. Cooksey had a dedication to serving others and a deep commitment to serving our country. He was a pilot in the Air Force and flew missions during the Vietnam War. In 1996, Dr. Cooksey was elected to serve the people of Louisiana's Fifth Congressional District here in the House of Representatives. Throughout his three terms, he was known for delivering results that were transformational for our region and always going above and beyond to help his constituents.…
