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Hockey leader dies
BRODY MARK
January 6, 2008, 7:44 pm

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Gary Cook, arguably the most influential figure in Thunder Bay hockey, passed away this weekend at the age of 66.

Cookie, as he was known to the hockey community, died Saturday night at the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre after a lengthy illness.

“I don‘t know if shocked is the proper word, but I was devastated,” said longtime friend Ab Cava.

Cook leaves behind wife Marlene and two daughters, Leslie and Laura.

Cava said Cook got his start in 1957 as a stickboy/assistant trainer for the Port Arthur North Stars junior hockey team on which Cava played.

From there he became head trainer for the Port Arthur Marr‘s, a team that reached the Memorial Cup finals in 1967.

Later in life, Cook held front office positions on various championship teams, winners of five Allan Cups (Thunder Bay Twins), three Colonial/United Hockey League titles (Senators and Thunder Hawks), three Superior International Junior Hockey League titles and one Dudley-Hewitt Cup (Fort William North Stars).

“He‘s probably the greatest man ever to be involved in Thunder Bay hockey,” said North Stars coach Todd Howarth. “If you could find somebody greater, then I‘d be amazed.”

Cava echoed Howarth‘s sentiments.

“For my money, there is nobody I know of in my lifetime that did more for the game and for no reparations. What he did, he did for nothing,” he said, adding he hopes it isn‘t long before Cook is recognized by the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in the sport of hockey.

Former Thunder Bay Senators coach Bill McDonald developed a life-long friendship with Cook from his days with the Marr‘s that saw the two talk almost on a daily basis. Hearing about Cook‘s death was a blow, as he had last seen him on Boxing Day.

“Shocked to lose a good friend like that,” said McDonald, now the coach of Daytona Bombers of the ECHL. “We went through a lot of wars together, had a lot of good times together.”

Friend and former co-worker Jack Doughty said Cook‘s keen mind didn‘t stop at the hockey rink.

“As a worker, he had a mind like a computer. He knew everybody‘s name, address, phone number, date of birth, everything,” Doughty said about the 40 years he spent with Cook working at the gas company.

Oddly enough, Cook got through life without a driver‘s licence. Doughty thinks the fact friends and family never once felt burdened by having to drive Cookie around is something that should be remembered.

“It just says something about (Cook‘s) character when there are so many people that care about him,” said Lakehead University athletic director Tom Warden, who played and coached under Cook.

Emotion was heard in the voice of many of those interviewed Sunday, but none more than Howarth, who also developed a relationship with Cook at a young age.

“I figure I had two fathers in my life and I just had one taken away from me,” he said. “He was like my best friend and like my father, I can‘t say any more than that. He was just a great man and part of my heart has been ripped out.”

Funeral arrangements are still pending.
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