SALISBURY, Md.- It has been a week and a half full of grief, sadness, and tears for the Heacook family, the Delmar community, and the department he proudly served for over two decades.
The visitation at Emmanuel Wesleyan Church in Salisbury will be held Monday from 10 a.m. until Noon. The funeral service is expected to start at 12:20 p.m.
Father Chris LaBarge knew Heacook as a frequent churchgoer at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and will preside over the service. He understands that many people are sad about the loss of Heacook’s life but says they should find a way to move on once Monday is over.
"We’re all grieving in one respect or another and I think the question that we ask when we are in this grieving process is ‘Why did this have to happen?’," LaBarge said. "And unfortunately there is no answer to that question. Now the question is what do we do and how do we respond to it."
Roads will close at 4 a.m. Monday morning and include Route 54 eastbound and US 13 Southbound.
Years ago, Cookie Markman who used to live Seaford met Corporal Heacook at Our Lady Of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church. Every Sunday morning, they would stand against the back wall and talk about their faith. Markman said it was special to get to know him.
"He always came to church with a smile and his first question to me was always, ‘Hey Cook, how as your night? How was your night?'," Markman said. "And we talked about faith a lot during those times. This spanned about six years."
It is clear there are many people who have been impacted by Corporal Heacook in many different ways. Monday will be an opportunity to say thank you to one of Delmarva’s finest first responders.
Temporary road closures beginning at 4 a.m. Monday morning include Route 54 eastbound, Route 13 southbound, E. Naylor Mill Road, Zion Road, and Beaglin Park Drive.
Tune into WRDE, WBOC, or the WRDE News or WBOC News app at 11 a.m. for special coverage of Corporal Heacook's funeral.
