Funeral services were held Sunday for former Buchanan Mayor Noel Cook Sr., who died at his daughter’s Ranburne, Ala., home last Thursday after suffering ongoing health problems. He was 83.

Belinda Buchanan, Cook’s daughter, said he had been very sick in recent years as his organs began shutting down.

Family and friends gathered at the Hutcheson’s Memorial Chapel and Crematory in Buchanan to bid farewell to Cook, who served as mayor in the city from 1960 to 1965, according to the Haralson County Historical Society’s Web site.

Buchanan described her father as a giving spirit who always wanted to help others prosper. She recalled his time in office. She says Cook inherited the once “tiny town of Buchanan,” which held a great amount of debt at the time that Cook helped turn around.

“I was a young girl then, but I remember the city being in extreme debt when he took office, but he took it down,” she said. “I remember he took down his salary, too, because he wanted to help the city prosper.”

“He’s done quite a bit good for the city,” echoed Robert Farmer, former Buchanan councilman who worked alongside Cook. “When he was mayor, the city was in pretty bad financial shape.”

Meanwhile, Buchanan also remembered attending elegant social events growing up. She says her father threw dinner parties where he and late wife, Edris Lee, entertained former President Jimmy Carter, the late House Speaker Tom Murphy as well as lawyers doctors and other prominent figures in the community.

Prior to Cook’s career in local politics, he entered the U.S. Navy at 16 years old. He served in World War II and later joined the U.S. Army where he served in Korea.

Armed forces personnel also paid tribute by issuing full military honors at the interment services held Tuesday at the National Cemetery in Canton.

Buchanan says her family will always celebrate her father’s life, which was devoted to goodwill and public service. Cook is survived by three children and a host of grandchildren and other relatives to carry on his legacy.

Individuals may post private condolences on the Hutcheson’s Memorial Chapel Web site at www.hutchesonsmemorialchapel.com.