To: Mrs. Cook, Bobby, Ritchie, and Ron, and families
I was sorry to learn about Bob's death in a phone call from Ruth Mulder. I have lots of fond memories of Bob and your whole family.
Bob was always easy going and quick to smile or tell a joke. He was a great kidder. He was someone that you just liked to be around.
We first met the Cooks when they moved in next door to us on Ralph St. That was the start of a long family friendship and a lot of fun times.
Here are just a few of my favorite memories:
Watering the grass for Bob on Ralph Street for the princely sum of 10 cents.
Bob helping me to improve my baseball skills by playing catch with me in his front yard.
Burning leaves in the street in front of our houses.
Bob working at the Fire Department.
Bob was the first person I knew who invested in real estate; a lesson that I took notice of for later use.
Bob gave me my first real job, as a part-time janitor at the plumbing shop on Wealthy St., when I was 15. He would pick me up on Saturday mornings to work until noon at the rate of 85 cents per hour. That job kept me in gas money for a year or two, and was an early lesson in the world of work.
I remember baby sitting for the kids on 2 or 3 New Year's Eves when you lived on Hutchinson St.
I remember Laura and I staying with the Cooks several times when our folks went to Florida for a week or two when we were in high school.
When I got my first car (1954 Ford) at age 16, it had no radio. Bob suggested that I get a used radio at a junk yard, which I did. But when I asked if he would help install it, he said he could, but it would be better if I did it myself. With that encouragement and some assistance from Bob, I did, and thus learned an important lesson in self-reliance.
When I was a senior in engineering school, Bob asked me what I was going to do after graduation. I said I was thinking about going into technical sales. But after Bob explained some of the problems with that career, I changed my mind and went to grad school instead.
But some of my best memories are of our two families at Bills Lake, including fishing under the dock for 3" fish, water skiing, playing in the woods, doing projects my dad came up with, shooting BB guns, playing with the Mulders, sleeping 5 to a room, picnic meals, and, of course, the outhouse.
Bob was a role model, a family man, a friend, an employer, an encourager, an advisor, and a confidant when I was much younger. Although we hadn't seen him recently, we did enjoy our visit to Spring Lake with our kids and Laura and her kids a few years ago. We're always at Bills Lake for 3 weeks from about July 15 to August 7 each year. We'd love to get together again soon.##imported-begin##Russell Blake##imported-end##