The Cole

Judge Morris Edward Cole was born on February 3, 1933, in Barbourville, Kentucky, a coal mining town ripe with deprivation in the Appalachian Mountains. Time Magazine described the region as "the Valley of Poverty" where an "impoverished people live[d] in shacks without plumbing or sanitation." Job opportunities in Barbourville in the 1930s and '40s were scarce, particularly for African-Americans. The Cole family's survival depended upon their father, Roscoe Cole's, meager earnings as a coal miner, as well as a small garden, a few livestock, and the kindness of neighbors and extended family. Black, destitute, and marginalized, these mountain folk understood all too well the saying, "There but for the grace of God, go I." Morris not only survived abject poverty as a child, but also a near-death experience. One frigid winter night, the electrical wiring Roscoe Cole had installed in the home caught fire. Roscoe jumped from his bed, broke a window with his bare hands, gathered his wife and children and hurled them one by one out of the window. The Cole family escaped with their lives, but they were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The family relied on the compassion and generosity of neighbors and kin until they were able to build a new home. Growing up in the South during the height of Jim Crow created additional obstacles for Morris. As a child, he was forced to attend segregated schools with his brothers, Eugene, Bruce, and Douglas, and his sister, Mary. The school designated for black children was a one room schoolhouse where children of all ages and sizes huddled around a large black stove in the middle of the room to keep warm. It was difficult to find any motivation to attend school in these conditions. Understandably, Morris failed to attend the fifth and seventh grade. When Morris was twelve years old, his mother made the brave decision to move the family to Columbus, Ohio, to give her children a better life. It was in Columbus that Morris was first able to attend integrated schools and he quickly became a driven and ambitious student despite his academic deficits. In ninth grade, a school counselor asked Morris what he wanted to be when he grew up. He boldly responded, "An attorney." Based on his lofty career goal, the counselor enrolled Morris in law-related classes, including Latin. He performed poorly and was subsequently steered toward a manual arts track. He excelled in carpentry and the skills he acquired would later prove useful when he helped design and build his home on 17th Avenue Parkway in Denver, Colorado. Due to his academic struggles in high school, Morris believed he would become a professional carpenter. However, a summer job working with bricklayers convinced him to aim higher. The job required Morris to continuously deliver buckets of cement up flights of stairs in the sweltering heat. The older workers would often tell him, "Stay in school, Young Blood. You don't want to end up like us." Morris decided that this was not the life that he wanted. He had far more to offer. Consequently, he lied about his age and joined the National Guard at fifteen where his leadership skills were quickly identified by his superiors. The experience helped him to develop maturity beyond his years, and he worked hard to complete high school at the age of seventeen. He enrolled in the Ohio State University the following fall. After one year at college, Morris decided to join the United States Air Force to learn how to fly planes. Unfortunately, his eyesight was not strong enough to become a pilot, so he pursued accounting. After he completed his military service, Morris returned to the Ohio State University and majored in Accounting and Business Administration. On July 9, 1956, Morris married the love of his life, Luleen Yvonne Jamison, a young nurse from Columbus, Ohio. Upon graduation from the Ohio State University, the couple moved with their young son, Derek, to Denver, Colorado. Morris had fallen in love with the beauty of Colorado during his time in the Air Force and believed it would be the perfect place to start a new life with his family. Shortly after arriving in Denver, Morris stumbled upon the University of Denver College of Law, which was then located in downtown Denver. Remembering his earlier dreams of becoming an attorney, Morris boldly entered the law school and asked if he could meet with the Dean. It was unheard of during this time period for a Black man to make such a request. Morris was granted an audience with the Dean, and he made such a good impression that the Dean encouraged him to submit an application. Morris was accepted and he became one of the first three African-American students to attend the University of Denver College of Law. The Dean became an important mentor to Morris and helped him secure scholarships and work study to pursue his legal education. Upon graduation from law school, Morris worked as a real estate broker because legal positions for African-Americans were scarce. Serendipitously, the real estate agent that Morris worked for helped him secure an interview for a position as a City Attorney for Denver. Morris was hired and took great pride in his first job as a lawyer. He performed well as a City Attorney and was eventually promoted to Supervising City Attorney. After working approximately ten years as a City Attorney, Morris opened up a private law firm with Billy Lewis. Although there had been African-American attorneys practicing law in Denver, theirs was the first African-American law firm. Their office building on York Street is now considered a historical site. When invited to apply for a position as a traffic court judge, Morris became the third African-American judge in the City and County of Denver. A few years later, Judge Cole was appointed as the first African-American judge in the Denver Juvenile Court. Judge Cole initiated many changes that are now standard practice in the Denver Juvenile Court because he understood the litany of challenges facing those in poverty. During his time on the bench, he encouraged kinship foster care and adoption and a more therapeutic and trauma-based approach over the traditional punitive approach in the practice of Juvenile Law in Denver. Judge Cole retired from the bench at the age of 56. However, he remained an active member of the bar and taught Criminal Law at Metropolitan State University of Denver for a number of years. In his free time, he enjoyed gardening with Luleen, his beloved wife of 58 years, and spending quality time with his family. Luleen preceded him in death on October 30, 2014. He remained strong until the very end, and his life is proof that Booker T. Washington's famous words ring true. In every sense, the Honorable Morris Cole was a success because he overcame tremendous obstacles. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. The Honorable Morris Edward Cole departed this life on May 18, 2016, at the age of 83 in Denver, Colorado. He is survived his three children, Derek W. Cole, Esquire, Cindy R. Threet, Esquire, and Marsha L. (Johnny) Mares; one sister, Mary Duff; seven grandchildren, Monique, Carolyn, Derek-James, Ishmael, Kenta, Kaito, and Jasmin; one great-granddaughter, Zaylah; a host of other relatives; and many friends.

Funeral Home: Pipkin Braswell Funerals and Cremation - 2050 Uinta Street, Denver, Colorado
Visitation: 5/27/2016 at 4:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 6601 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO
Service: 5/28/2016 at 2:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 3370 Ivy Street, Denver, CO
Cemetery: 5/31/2016 - Fort Logan National Cemetery - 4400 W. Kenyon Ave., Denver, CO