Robert “Bob” O. Cooke
1949-2021
Robert “Bob” Cooke ,71, of Hillsborough passed away on May
2, 2021 at the Moncton Hospital with his family
by his side.
Bob was born in Edgett’s Landing on
August 4, 1949 the son of the late Clarence and Evelyn
(Milton) Cooke.
Bob was a very
successful entrepreneur and respected
businessman. He built his empire from the ground up and
worked very hard to achieve all his goals and
accomplishments. He owned and operated Cooke’s
Convenience store and Gas Bar for several years in his
hometown of Hillsborough, employing several generations of
people over the years. He owned
apartment buildings, stores, restaurants, and dabbled in just
about every business opportunity that came his way.
His passion was Hillsborough Auto Sales
where he was able to wheel and deal the classics and
fulfill people getting their dream vehicle. He was
a very important part of the economical growth not only
in Hillsborough but all of Albert County
and the surrounding areas.
He enjoyed fast cars, he always put the pedal to
the metal, as they say, and was not afraid of speed. The
faster the better for Bob on any machine. He had a
collection of vehicles including his Harley Davidson Motorcycles and
many unique cars. His garage was a gathering place
for all his friends and where he kept all his collections,
everything was pristine. It was known as
the Garage Mahal with something for
everyone – cars, trucks, snowmobiles and motorcycles – talk about a
“man cave”! He took his classic cars to
car shows to let others have the opportunity to see his restored
beauties. Bob was the go to guy for the local proms and
parades for his classic cars. He belonged to the Corvette
Club and hosted events at his place. He was a
founding member of
the Hillsborough Cruisers. He was a member
of the Masonic Howard Lodge #15 in Hillsborough and
the Luxor Shriners Club of NB. He
rode his Harley and went on several bike trips with his buddies over
the years, including his annual Laconia trip for
over 25 years. He enjoyed snowmobiling and
being outdoors on the trails. Bob never turned down an
adventure and was always willing to join in the
fun. He lived his life to the fullest. Bob has a
lifetime of stories that will be shared for years to come with
laughter and smiles all around as they reminisce.
Over the years Bob had his group of friends that became
family. His family and friends meant everything to
him. He knew he couldn’t have done everything in his life if
he hadn’t had the support and love of his wife, Lana who was
always by his side. His son Jeff, who has taken
over some of his businesses, he was SO proud. His
grandchildren were grown up and in the process of making their own
little families and he felt blessed to get to know his great
grandsons, Easton and Jackson. They
celebrated holidays, birthdays and anniversaries in a big way and
everyone got together for a hearty meal. Bob was never one
to show a lot of emotion but he definitely was loyal to those
who were in his inner circle. He will be remembered for his
kindness and for his big heart. He would not want anyone to
be sad but to know he had a great life and did things his
way. He was one of a kind.
“You can shed tears that he is gone, Or you
can smile because he lived, You can close your eyes and pray
that he will come back, Or you can open your eyes and see all
that he has left, do what he would want, smile, love and go
on.”
He will be deeply missed by his wife, Lana; son Jeff
(Tracy) ; his treasured grandchildren, Alisha (Stephen), Mitchell
(Keisha); his precious great grandsons, Easton and
Jackson all of Hillsborough; his brothers Weston Beaumont
of Moncton and Byron Cooke of Hillsborough;
mother-in-law,
Janet Steeves of Hillsborough;
sisters-in-law, Nancy Jonah (Danny)
of Hillsborough and
Susan Fenton of Albert Mines. He will also
be missed by special niece, Stacey Dejardins (Rene)
and great-great niece, Kenadee along with several
nieces, nephews and by all his extended family and
good friends.
Besides his parents he was predeceased by his sisters,
Sharon Hawkes, Faye Tower (Gerald) and Ada Cooke;
father-in-law, Sheldon Steeves; brother-in-law,
Vaughn Fenton.
There will be a time of Public Visitation at the Albert
County Funeral Home on Saturday evening from 7-9pm. A
private Memorial Service (Invitation Only) will be held at a
later date. The Memorial Service will be shared on
the Albert County Funeral Home Youtube Channel and Facebook page
following the service.
In lieu of flowers donations to the SPCA (as Bob
had a love of animals especially his dogs)
or Moncton Luxor Shriners Club –
Children’s Hospital ( which was a charity close to his
heart) would be greatly appreciated.
Arrangements are in the care of the Albert County Funeral
Home, 4130 Route 114, Hopewell Cape, NB, E4H-3K2
734-2780
www.albertcountyfh.com
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Robert Bob O Cooke 19492021..
Death notice for the town of: Hopewell Cape, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick