Justin R. Cooke (Cookie), age 35, of Branford passed away suddenly on Jan. 22 at his home. He leaves behind his loving parents Frances and Ed Amarante and Ed Cooke and Debbie Clemente, all of Branford. He also leaves his devoted and loving brother, Jared Cooke (Angela Ruggiero), to cherish his memory, and two nephews, Matthew and Benjamin Cooke, all of Branford. In addition he leaves many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is predeceased by his maternal grandparents Frances and Harry Velardi, and his paternal grandparents Edward and Janice Cooke.

Justin was born on June 10, 1981. He was the kindest soul you would ever meet and had the biggest heart of anyone you have known. When he walked into a room and smiled, the whole room lit up. He loved the New York Mets and loved to watch and play all sports. Some of you may have seen some of his posts on Facebook. He loved to rap. He enjoyed talking about history, especially with veterans. His new passion was growing hot peppers—the hotter, the better. He enjoyed canning his harvest and made many friends discussing them. He loved animals and leaves his beloved cat Lucy. He always had a smile and was always willing to help anyone. There wasn’t a mean bone in Justin’s body. He loved life. Growing up on the shoreline, he enjoyed fishing and eating shellfish. While in the Boy Scouts, he was affectionately known as Thumper. Justin was a co-host for NFormed, Freethink, and his own show Useless Eaters.

Friends may call Jan. 27 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 N. Main St., Branford. Services will be Jan. 28 at 10:00 a.m. in the funeral home, with burial following at Stony Creek Cemetery. Should friends desire, the family is asking that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, 749 E. Main St., Branford, CT 06405, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl., Memphis, TN 38105. Our hearts are broken. For an online memorial, visit www.wsclancy.com.