Marine from Belleville killed in crash brought joy, exuberance and love, obituary states

The Belleville family of Capt. Eleanor “Ellie” Cooke, formerly LeBeau, one of three U.S. Marines killed in the crash of a hybrid military aircraft on Sunday in Australia, has published her obituary.

Arrangements are being handled by Renner Funeral Home in Belleville, although the time and date of the funeral service and burial, which will include military honors, are pending.

The obituary describes Cooke, 29, as the “much-anticipated” fifth child out of David and Victoria LeBeau’s eight children and someone who “brought joy, exuberance, and an abundance of love into the world.”

“The excitement and enthusiasm she lived every day was present from the first day of kindergarten at Blessed Sacrament to her time at Althoff Catholic High School and as a dancer at Murray State,” according to the obituary, posted on the Renner website.

“Ellie, who called herself a ‘bad ass,’ joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a pilot with the same zeal and commitment she gave to everything. It was in the Marines that she found her soulmate in Chase Cooke, who shared the same excitement for life as Ellie.”

Cooke and LeBeau were married at St. Anthony Catholic Church in St. Louis. Both were Marine pilots.

“Ellie will be loved and remembered with the same fervor and joy with which she loved us all,” her obituary states. “As people often commented, ‘There was just something about Ellie.’”

An MV-22B Osprey crashed about 9:30 a.m. Sunday on Melville Island, north of Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory while transporting troops during a routine training exercise, according to a Marine Corps news release.

The area was later described in Associated Press reports as a “tropical forest.” There were a total of 23 people aboard the Osprey, which could take off and land like a helicopter but function like a turboprop airplane in flight. Twenty were taken to the hospital.

“The Marines aboard the aircraft were flying in support of Exercise Predators Run,” the news release stated. “Recovery efforts are ongoing. The cause of the incident is under investigation.”

Exercise Predators Run also includes the militaries of Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.

Marine Corps representatives visited the LeBeau home on Sunday morning to notify the family of Ellie Cooke’s death. She was one of the aircraft’s two pilots, her mother told the BND on Monday.

“We’re very proud of her, and by giving her life, she saved 20 other people,” Victoria LeBeau said.

Later Monday, the Marine Rotational Force in Darwin, Australia, identified the three Marines killed in the crash. Besides Cooke, the other two were Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, 21, of Arlington, Virginia, and Maj. Tobin J. Lewis, 37, of Jefferson, Colorado.

That news update stated that Eleanor LeBeau, who used her maiden name for military service, was commissioned in the Marine Corps on Aug. 11, 2018, and promoted to captain on March 1 of this year.

The update gave the following military bio of Cooke:

“She served in Pensacola, FL, Corpus Christi, TX, and Jacksonville, NC, before arriving at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, HI. Capt LeBeau, an MV-22B pilot, received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”

Cooke, Collart and Lewis were declared dead at the crash site, and their bodies were returned to Darwin late Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. Australian Broadcasting Corp reported Wednesday that they were flown back to the United States “to be repatriated to their loved ones.”

While the investigation continues, Australian media has reported that Cooke was being heralded for actions that minimized the loss of life.

“We are so grateful for all the outpouring of love from Australia, the vigils, and the prayers and the kindness,” Victoria LeBeau told The Sydney Morning Herald in a phone interview published Friday (Saturday in Australia).

“All Ellie ever said when she was in Australia was how much she loved being there. It’s so important for us that the Australian people know how much we appreciate the respect and (honor) that you have shown her through all this.”

According to the U.S. Air Force, the bodies of fallen service members are typically flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

They are each given a “dignified transfer” from the aircraft, with members of his or her branch of service escorting a flag-draped container to the base mortuary, where the body is formally identified and prepared for burial.

In Cooke’s obituary, her family asks that people “continue to lift Chase up in prayers, love and support” in lieu of sending flowers.

Those who want to do more are encouraged to make memorial donations to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, 875 North Randolph Street, Suite 225, Arlington, VA 22203 or online at https://www.nmcrs.org/.

Condolences can be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.