World Fence News

12 • JULY 2019 • WORLD FENCE NEWS the heart, guarding against pain, and creating a feeling of security… inside his fence line, you were safe. His first part- time job in high school was install- ing fences, and he retired selling high end gate hardware for Locinox. Except for one brief stint at West- ern Illinois University and cowboy cooking in Wyoming, he was install- ing, selling, fixing, troubleshooting, teaching, or coaching – people and fences; always people and fences. Bob was a fan, an avid sports fan whose favorite team was always the White Sox. Every spring brought training camp and lit up his world © 2019 Louisiana-Pacifi c Corporation. All rights reserved. LP is a registered trademark of Louisiana-Pacifi c Corporation. LP Elements ™ Performance Fencing is an entirely new material category that doesn't split, fade, crack or warp. It comes in consistently cut 6˝by 6´wide dog-eared boards and stands up to virtually whatever life throws at it. Learn more at LPCorp.com/Fence ENGINEERED FOR CONSISTENCY. TESTED FOR DURABILITY. ENGINEERED CONSISTENCY. ENGINEERED FO CONSISTENCY. ENGINEERED CONSISTENCY. ENGINEERED FOR CONSISTENCY. TESTED FOR DURABILITY. DURABILITY. DURABILITY. DURABILITY. DURABILITY. DURABILITY. Life-long Chicago area fence man Bob Cooke lived life with gusto Robert M. (Bob) Cooke, 67, of La- Grange Park, Illinois, a veteran of the modern day fence industry, passed away May 12, 2019 after a long battle with liver disease. This candid tribute was written by his wife, Darla Cooke, and brother-in-law, David White. No one except family could say it better. • • • Who was Bob Cooke? At his core, he was a fencer, an expert at securing perimeters. Whether it was the prop- erty of a customer, or the life of one he loved, he was the one protecting anew. He loved taking training camp trips to Arizona with Tommy. But he was also a Chicago guy through and through, with the Bulls and Bears sta- tistics and standings always open for discussion. Visiting as many parks, stadiums, and arenas as he could was a top buck- et list item for him. He was also a big fan of trains and spent decades building layouts of HO scale trains. And he was also a big fan of helping people, of serving others, and of serving God. He was a deacon, treasurer, and long-time groundskeep- er at the Village Church, which he loved. He was also a Mason, serving in the St. Cecilia Lodge in Chicago. If Bob ever had a foul word to say, it was probably directed at a certain troubled riding lawn mower. Bob lived life with gusto; he worked hard and played hard, and he never held grudges. After moving on from his hard-charging partying days, he became the rock of his family, whom he always kept within the safe confines of the perimeter of his love. If you knew Bob, you know that you are better off because of it. Though change is a daily force in all our lives, one thing was a "rock solid" constant in his: Ask, "How are you doing today Bob?" and the answer was always, "Peachy keen." In addition to being survived by his wife and brother-in-law, Mr. Cooke was the father of Michael (Amanda) Cooke of Tennessee and Amber (Dav- ey Kunesh) Cooke of Westmont, Illi- nois; grandfather of William (Gabe), Rachel, David (Lou), and Avery; brother of James (Becky) Cooke and Kathy Cooke (Sue Crowell) and uncle of Morgan, Andrew and Sarah Cooke and their spouses and children. He is also survived by many other lov- ing family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, James (Barbara) Cooke and Eliza- beth Cooke. Plan ahead for NAFCA's 2020 Fence Training School The North American Fence Contractors Association (NAFCA) held its 2019 Fence Training School just this last February, but details on the 2020 FTS have been announced. You should register now (FTS is limited to 28 registrants on a paid, first come, first served basis), or at least put it on your to-do list. The 2020 FTS will be held Feb- ruary 9–12, 2020. The 2020 school will again be held in Sebring, Fla., in the Orlando area, about an hour south of the major theme parks. The three-day school allows students to rotate through 11 stations and receive hands-on instruction in an outdoor classroom. The stations include: access controls, ornamental fence, weld- ing, wood fence, chain link fence, PVC fence, farm and ranch fence, blueprint reading, HTP rail and strand, safety and customer rela- tions. Additionally, the program in- cludes safety and tool box talks which review different and new tools in the industry and safety reg- ulations. For details about the school and to register, vis- it www.4nafca.com, e-mail info@4nafca.com, call 613-543- 2433 or fax 613-543-3975. Bob Cooke

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