Bill Cook

[Galen]

Man...

[mellodcd]

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[TerriTroop]

A great man who put up with a lot of grief - including some from me. He was patient and kind, and I will never forget that.

RIP, Mr. Cook.

[84BDsop]

Ahhhhh crap....the activity loses another one of the greats, and someone who never really got the credit he deserved.

RIP, Mr. Cook...you will always be missed.

If I close my eyes, I can almost hear the choir in Heaven singing "When You Wish" as he clears the pearly gates.

[PioneerWebmaster]

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[wcmello09]

MYNWA

probably gonna get taken down, but oh well

Edited April 16, 2011 by wcmello09

[Michael Boo]

I'm still in shock after hearing this. I just got a couple e-mails from him early today and received a call from his wife this afternoon about an event I'm attending Saturday, along with Tom Blair and Dan Acheson. Bill and his family were responsible for renovating a massive old church that is going to become a great venue for cultural events in Indianapolis and it's being dedicated tomorrow. Sen. Richard Lugar is giving a tribute presentation to Bill and his family and John Mellencamp is flying in from Alberta to do a solo acoustic set and then flying back to perform a concert in Alberta at night. Charles Webb, former Dean of Music (and a former commentator for the DCI PBS broadcast) at indiana University is giving a recital on the restored pipe organ. Bill gave Tom Blain and I a private tour of the building before renovation started when we were both in Indy for the DCI Annual Meeting last year. He was always so proud of whatever his next project was going to be. In typical Bill fashion, he was absorbing all the costs and then presenting the building to Indiana Landmarks (of which I've been a member for several years) as their new headquarters, with two new magnificent performance areas for Indy cultural events.

I don't know what the event will turn into now, but I'm guessing Bill would kick everyone's butt if we didn't show up and remember him for the incredible person he was.

There is so much to reflect upon. A short story before I get back to my writing work for the WGI Percussion World Championships...When I was working in Bloomington on a book for him on the history of coronary angioplasty a number of years ago, I'd get a call at random from his secretary to report to his office. I'd drop everything and go to the office, invariably to here him say, "You need a drum corps break. Let's watch drum corps." And we would...at about the volume of a jumbo jet on take-off. And then, with my bones still vibrating from the volume, I'd return to working on the book.

Bill was a unique character with a very healthy sense of humor. I knew one day he would be gone, but I hoped the day would never come. There are many, many things he did for drum corps that most do not know about. As flamboyant as he could be, (and who could forget his costumes relating to Star of Indiana's shows), he preferred to do things behind the scenes.

Bill, my friend and mentor; your were unique, you were fun, and you taught me much about loving drum corps. I knew you still cared about the activity every time you called me on my cell phone to listen to the scores announced live at the World Championship Finals. You said you didn't really care, but you were up and had nothing better to do. You never were a good liar and I bet you still cared very much about drum corps until the end and loved it as much as you cared about it.

Thank you for allowing me the privilege and honor of knowing you. I can't imagine the world without you, and neither can the countless people whose lives you saved...who benefitted from your medical products.

There will never be another Bill Cook. God broke the mold after he made you.

[Whiskey]

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[DCIHasBeen]

RIP, Bill. You were definitely one of a kind, and our endless exchanges of lengthy emails taught me more about business than I've learned before or since ... And you only let me pay for breakfast once!

[Daave]

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