There’s a well-circulated photo taken May 24, 2019 that shows Paige Warmath and her husband, Brad, holding hands and walking off into the sunset after the Covington Charger baseball team won the state title game.
On Monday, Paige was surrounded by her husband and other family members when she lost her 22-month battle with brain cancer. She was 45.
In both cases, she knew what had been accomplished and where she was heading.
“Her faith was so strong she knew exactly where she was going and we knew exactly where she was going,” said longtime friend Caroline Nelson. “She’s right there with her (late) daddy (Charlie Cook).”
Paige was diagnosed with brain cancer in March of 2019 while her husband was in the hospital with serious health issues. Brad eventually recovered and coached the Chargers, led by their son Ty and several other seniors, to the program’s third state title. Paige, despite dealing with cancer, managed to attend most of the games anyway.
She was an excellent athlete in her younger days and led the Lady Charger softball team to four straight state tournament appearances as an ace pitcher. She went on to play at UT-Martin as well.
After graduating from UT-Martin she became an English teacher and assistant softball coach at Covington.
Much of her life revolved around sports and that’s how she made most of her best friends.
Ty, Austin Baskin and Brock Lomax all played youth baseball together and were keys to Covington’s baseball success years later. Nelson, Brock’s mother, and Lisa Baskin, Austin’s mother, were two of her closest.
“Caroline was the outspoken one and Paige was the peacemaker,” Baskin said with a laugh. “She didn’t want to make anybody mad. She controlled Caroline.”
If Caroline could not make a game, Paige would step in and take care of Brock.
“She would take care of him like he was her own,” Nelson said. “Even though we weren’t blood-related, she was family, like a sister.”
Randal Baskin, Austin’s father, and Brad coached their sons’ traveling team and the families regularly took vacations together.
“Paige and I just clicked and became really close,” Lisa said. “From then on we were together just about every weekend … She was kind-hearted and compassionate, just loved everyone.”
Sonya Sage graduated with Paige in 1993 and played shortstop while Paige mowed down batter after batter.
“She was always a great person and a great friend,” Sage said. “I can’t say enough good things about her.”
Holly Walls and Paige became friends in high school and she remembers visiting her friend in college while she was studying to become an English teacher.
“She always talked about the excitement of her future career,” Walls said. “She would do anything for anybody and cared about the feelings of everyone else. I know she loved being a teacher … It was very painful seeing someone you love suffer so much and you couldn’t do anything other than be there every day and pray, which we did daily.”
“Everyone loved her,” said Baskin. “She was very easy to talk to.”
Visitation for Paige will be held on Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Maley-Yarbrough chapel. Funeral services will follow on Friday at 10 a.m. in the chapel. Interment will take place in Covington Memorial Gardens.
Paige is also survived by her son, Holden, and mother, Joyce Cook.
“Paige was just a jewel and everybody needs a Paige in their life,” Nelson said. “When she loved she loved with everything in her. She will be tremendously missed. My heart is broken because I’ve lost a dear friend.”
The family asks that anyone who wants to make a donation in Paige’s memory can donate to the Glioblastoma Foundation or locally at any Patriot Bank to the Paige Cook Warmath Memorial Fund.
Leave a Reply