Celebrating Our Mountain Shadows Founders |
Doug and Linda Cook, Mountain Shadows Founders, on their wedding day. |
Honoring the Cook Family The Shadow Knows:
The Mountain Shadows Story |
by Sheryl Wilde
Doug Cook: The Path of the Heart Warrior
Author’s Note:
“The Shadow knows.” Doug Cook recited this line from his favorite boyhood radio show “The Shadow” several times to me over the years. The words were followed by menacing laughter, “Hahaha-a-ah” in a dramatic, haunting crescendo, a tribute to the iconic line that became embedded in the annals of American pop-culture.
Doug made no secret of knowing the shadow aspects in the hearts of men, because he had lived a few of them. He suffered from alcohol and drug addiction for many years. And yet, in the end, as did The Shadow character, Doug was able to kindle a light in the shadows, forging a new life for himself, his family, and ultimately, for all of us, his extended Mountain Shadows Family.
From the innocence of young love to the sometimes harsh realities of life, Doug overcame his dark inner struggles and led us all into destiny through the creation of this miracle place – this place we call Mountain Shadows. Shadow work is the path of the Heart Warrior. ~Carl Jung |
“God put Brian in my life to save me from my self-destructive ways. He was the toughest human being I have ever known. He was my Master Teacher.” ~Doug Cook, regarding his son, Brian, who lived at Mountain Shadows for 27 years. “My dad will tell you that Brian saved him,” says Greg Cook, Doug’s oldest son. “Literally and figuratively he saved his life because of my dad’s substance abuse. Brian pulled my dad back to being who he needed to be. He needed to be there for Brian, for all of us.
“Dad always carried the burden of feeling like maybe he did something that caused Brian’s disabilities. He didn’t, but in the back of his mind, he always carried that.
“Growing up, things weren’t easy. Times were tough. When I was ten, we lost everything. They took our house. They took our car. My dad lost his business. We had to start all over.” |
Bev Atkins, Doug’s sister, agrees, “Doug went through some really tough times. But he turned things around. And I do believe Brian was the catalyst for him to get the help he needed.” Brian was two years old when he received his diagnosis. He wasn’t talking and was missing typical developmental milestones.
“It was really tough. Doug and Linda were told not to expect anything from Brian, and that they should put him in an institution. They refused to do that. They cared for him at home for many years.” |
Adds Joann, Linda’s sister, “They cared for Brian at home for many years. But Linda was a very tiny woman, and Brian was not a small guy. Eventually, she had so much trouble helping him, lifting him, that they felt he needed help they couldn’t provide.”
“They tried a couple of facilities, but they weren’t happy with them,” says Greg. “Brian would come home for visits and he didn’t want to go back. It was hard.”
The family started looking for a new placement for Brian. |
Then came the moment of serendipity. “I was shopping at Kmart, and was in line behind a woman that had like 15 pairs of shoes,” says Bev. “I’m nosy, so I asked her, ‘How many children do you have?’ “She said, ‘Oh no. These shoes are for the Mountain Shadows care facility.’ After we both checked out, we talked, and she told me more about Mountain Shadows, and gave me their phone number.
“I called Doug and Linda right away. By that weekend, they made an appointment to go and tour the facility. It wasn’t a month later and Brian was there!
“That’s where it all began.
“I don’t think it was me. I don’t believe in coincidence. I think meeting that woman in the Kmart checkout line was meant to be. I feel like it was divine intervention. I do.
“After that moment, everything happened so quickly. So seamlessly. It was all so positive, and it started a whole new life for them.” |
Doug, Linda and Greg in the early years |
“Eventually, the company that owned Mountain Shadows at the time had some problems and the State was going to close down the house Brian was living in,” says Wade Wilde, Chief Financial Officer, MSSG, MSAS, MSF. “Doug and other family members stepped in and formed a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), with Doug running the company as a for-profit entity.” Adds Greg, “My dad’s ultimate goal was to turn Mountain Shadows into a non-profit, so that it would last in perpetuity.”
Says John Martindale, Board Member, “To change the organization to non-profit status, we went through the process of issuing a California municipal bond, which was brilliant! It raised $20 million, which we used to exercise our option to buy the property. That ensured our destiny. We now had control of our own destiny.” “Doug sold the organization to Mountain Shadows Support Group, and secured housing for Brian, and all of the other residents, forever,” says Wade. |
“Once they purchased Mountain Shadows, they just turned it into a dreamland,” says Joann. “The residents were going on ski trips, outings in the ocean, taking horse back riding lessons. They had a softball team. It was wonderful!
“They made Mountain Shadows more of a home, not a business. Everyone was welcome any time of the day or night. They didn’t have visiting hours. The residents and staff had TV shows they all loved and watched together. They ate dinner at the table every night. It was just beautiful. They had wonderful lives. Anything that Brian or the other residents wanted, Doug would make it happen.
“Events like Circus Day and the golf tournaments raised money and awareness of Mountain Shadows. At Circus Day, I was the fortune teller each year. The mayor would come. The fire department would come. They had sports cars with Miss Escondido in the back seat waving. It was amazing!” |
Circus Day Dragon Dancers |
Police Department visits Circus Day |
Doug on the hot seat in the Circus Day dunk tank. |
Sharing a ride at the Golf Tournament |
MSF Annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament |
Greg says, “I remember when Brian was home one weekend, and he said he wanted to go back to Mountain Shadows! It broke my mom’s heart, but she was so happy. Brian used to cry about having to go back to the other facility. He did not want to go back.
“That Brian wanted to leave my parents, and go back to Mountain Shadows, it made my mom cry. But it was the greatest thing ever that he was so happy there.
“Mountain Shadows was amazing for Brian. Aside from being born into our family, it was the greatest thing that ever happened to him by far. He developed his own friendships, and his own independent life while still being a part of our family. He had this whole second family of Mountain Shadows. “He went to day program. He had some amazing people working with him at day program. They were wonderful people and they gave him great experiences. He loved it there.
“He loved being able to go next door on his own to visit another house, or to go to the office to work, shredding paper. That was real independence.” |
“Brian was quite the ladies man,” says Joann. “He used to tell everyone he had a thousand girlfriends. But he did have one special girlfriend, Betsy. He called her his One True Love. They were together at Mountain Shadows for around 10 years.
“Betsy was blind, and Brian knew that. He was so kind to her. When she was ill, and her time was getting shorter, Brian would not leave her bedside. He wanted to be with her all the time.
“He would hold her hand. He loved Betsy. She was his dream. He was so happy he had someone he loved so much.” |
Brian and His One True Love, Betsy, sharing a tender moment. |
“Brian passed away on the 4th of July,” says Bev. “It still makes me cry. But we all said, ‘He left on independence day, and he’s free now.’ That was comforting to all of us.
“Brian had a full life. A full life of love and joy – thanks to Doug and Linda and the whole Mountain Shadows Family.” |
Brian and the Charger Girls at the Fall Classic Golf Tournament. |
“I remember dad sent me an email one time,” says Greg. “He said, ‘I’ve owned seven businesses and had 28 different jobs. I’ve done a lot of things, but Mountain Shadows was my passion. It was important.’
“Nothing he did after Mountain Shadows compared. He felt it was his purpose to provide a home for all of the residents. And he did that.
“The fact that Mountain Shadows now has a long and healthy future ahead of it made my dad very proud and very happy. He was proud of Wade and Stacy and how they continued to grow the organization.
“And I’m so proud of what my dad and mom did. They made it through their struggles to end up a happy, loving couple with kids that love them.
“And I’m especially proud of my dad, and how he turned it all around, for himself, for his family and for Mountain Shadows. It was hard, but he did it.” |
“Doug meant so much to me and to the entire Mountain Shadows family,” says Stacy Sullivan, Executive Director, MSSG/MSAS. “This was more than a company to him. It was his life’s passion and purpose.”
“To say thank you to Doug, to the whole Cook family, it’s not enough. It’s just not enough. The words are hard to find when someone impacts your life so significantly.
“I’m just so grateful to have known them all.” “The hero’s journey involves confronting the shadows.” ~Carl Jung
Perhaps only The Shadow Knows the true struggles that lie in the hearts of men. But Doug Cook has reminded us that we can kindle the light within the shadows and forge a new and brighter future for all.
Thank you Doug Cook for your hard work and sacrifice in creating this miracle place we call Mountain Shadows. You are a Heart Warrior, and a true Hero to us. |
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The Mountain Shadows Foundation – Because We CARE |
Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, the Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents and participants adding meaning and richness to their lives.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities like this – activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives in fulfillment of their dreams. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come: -
Make a one-time donation today by clicking on the donate button below.
- Make a monthly or annual contribution.
- Leave a Legacy Gift.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: mhuiras@mtnshadows.org, or visit our website by clicking here:
Learn More About the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family!
To learn more about Mountain Shadows volunteer opportunities, please click below:
Learn about Mountain Shadows Volunteer Opportunities Here |
Mandy Huiras
Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can continue to make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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