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Well everyone, just like the epic 1972 Summit Series ended memorably, this is the end for me and I leave you all hoping that my legendary performance has left you with something to talk about.
I must say I was not a man gloat about my accomplishments, never one to grumble about my battles, but rather a man who embraced life with as much dignity and pride as I could, taking time to appreciate all it had to offer and getting down as many sweets as I could along the way.
During my 67 years here I didn’t just dabble in the endless supply of treats and Peanut butter sandwiches, I also spent countless hours in my workshop creating and building a number of things. My motto was measure it five times, mark it, measure another five then cut. My family learned quickly that if they needed something done right, I was their man; just give me two days per cut and you’re good to go.
I also thoroughly enjoyed fishing and spent a number of weekends with work buddies from Honda up at Pointe au Baril. I took my sons Mike and Matt with me a few times and on one occasion, even managed to teach Mike an important life skill. Upon arriving we learned that unless we caught our dinner, it would be cookies, Flakies and a cold one to wash it all down for the duration of the weekend. Needless to say he learned that if you wanted to survive, have your wife pack the cooler.
There were only two things that could pull me away from being in my shop and spending time out on the lake, my motorcycle and hockey. The first motorcycle I bought myself was a 350 Honda. For me nothing said cool like hitting the highway and letting my perm flow freely. Unfortunately, by the end of the 70s both the perm and the bike disappeared. Fortunately I was able to regain some of my cool factor in the early 2000 with Honda Goldwing. It was the perfect ride for a man in his 50’s and gave the wife a little piece of mind knowing it was somewhat safe.
Then there was hockey. I watched it, coached it and spent time bonding over it with my children and grandchildren. Much to the disappointment of my Leaf loving dad and brothers, I grew up being a true bleu, blanc et rouge Habs fan and made sure to remind them of that every chance I got. Although I played it myself as a child and scored the odd goal, nothing would compare to my all time greatest “hat trick.” Starting off by scoring my magnificent wife Nancy, followed by having our two amazing sons Mike and Matt, and then finishing it off with top shelf grandchildren Cameron and Calleah.
I grew with two brothers. Rick was the oldest and Ron the youngest. Being the middle child or as I like to put it the “Golden boy” (wink, wink) I made certain that both knew exactly what not to do. Then in my early 20’s, I married Nancy and lived just a few blocks away from my In-laws, people I can actually say I enjoyed spending time with, the tarts and pies her mother always baked were just an added bonus.
Nancy gave me the world, allowed me to grow and flourish into a father. A job that I think I did mostly right, even though Matt gave me more greys than Mike; they both provided endless laughter and have my sarcastic wit. Matt played it cool, tested the waters a bit, while Mike hunkered down and married Sara, my daughter in-law who could find me the cheapest price on anything needed.
I spent the last twenty years being a grandfather; a role cherished. From learning through my grandson Cameron, the slang of today’s world, knowing I would never repeat it in public to embracing my granddaughter Calleah’s new found love of Ringette and odd sense of U-tube videos .
Some may say my life here was short, I would say it was full. Any longer and this obituary may never end, so I will leave you with this. Never be afraid to take the shots you are given, but don’t let your ego get in the way of passing to someone who has a better angle. Win or lose, shake the hand of your opponent, and end your game knowing you played fair, battled hard and accomplished all you could in the time you were given.
Gary will be sadly missed but forever remembered By his wife Nancy Cook (nee Fry) of Hanover, children Mike(Sara) Cook and Matt Cook of Hanover, grandchildren Cameron and Calleah, brothers Rick(Cheryl) and Ron(Helen) Cook of Walkerton, and In-laws Cathy (Rick) Baetz ,and Lynn Jessop all of Barrie. Predeceased by his parents Roy and Dorothy Cook of Walkerton, In-laws Dewert and Gerry Fry of Hanover and Alvin Jessop of Barrie.
A celebration of life will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 24, 2024, at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 130, Hanover.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario, would be appreciated by the family. Donations and condolences may be made online at www.cameronfuneralhomes.com
Wednesday March 6th 2024
Death notice for the town of: Walkerton, Province: Ontario
death notice Gary Cook Wednesday March 6th 2024
obituaries notice Gary Cook Wednesday March 6th 2024
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Gary Cook Wednesday March 6th 2024 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
