That’s what I would say every time I’d walk in to visit.  That’s what would make him laugh, out loud sometimes.  That’s what would perk up a sometimes monotonous day.  That’s all I could offer my friend over the past three years, a snappy remark, a bit of a laugh, a break in the monotony and perhaps a pignoli nut cookie on occasion.

After all he did for me was that enough?

Robert E. Cook, family man, friend, former BMW employee, basketball lover, Yankee fan and all around genuine human being passed away today from heart failure.  This after surviving a hemorrhagic stroke on Memorial Day 2007 and battling his way back to a simple existence at home in Monsey NY.

I had the distinct honor of working with Bob for over 12 years and could not have asked for a better learning experience.  In a business that is not kind to women I was given the very precious gift of knowledge from Bob.  His generosity in sharing what he knew made me the car hag I am today.  Oh yeah, all that knowledge came with a title.

I was not the only recipient of his generosity.  There are many people telling were-it-not-for Bob stories of his help and his bigheartedness as I write this.  They will continue to tell those stories for years to come.  I’ve heard many of them before (especially after his stroke), some told by him in his version which was humble, and some told in the recipient’s version which are filled with a unique mix of humor and gratitude.

Humor was his shield, humor was his therapy, and humor was his forte. You can’t tell a Bob story without a chuckle or more likely a belly laugh.  His unique way of naming everyone could bring you to tears of hilarity and those names i.e. car hag had a tendency to stick.  The amazing mix of wit and sarcasm could have you doing a double take.  Believe me we laughed even harder when some walked away shaking their heads not getting the joke.  All in good natured fun, all in the name of reduced tension and conflict avoidance.  Yeah we knew what he was up to….how about those Yankees.

There are many people that considered themselves friends of Bob’s over the years, good friends.  I’m trying desperately to understand that it was too difficult for them to visit and come face to face with what might be their own mortality.  I gladly gave updates to all those who asked about Bob on a regular basis, those people who know him on a much more casual basis but thought of him often.  I applaud and love with all my heart those who came to visit as hard as that could sometimes be.  I am forever grateful to those who sat with him and chatted away never expecting him to answer or engage.  I will keep those people in my heart and prayers for the rest of my life; they understood that to give of themselves was a joy to both Bob and his wife Kathy.

I am proud to call myself his friend, I am proud that I could fulfill the requests he had, “if anything should happen to him” and I am proud that I stuck with him and his family all through these last years. Rest assured his family has become my family.   I have gained more from knowing this man and his family than I could ever have imagined and know that he is looking down right now saying “well done Mrs. LoConti” That is one of my greatest accomplishments.

What are his greatest accomplishments; the love of family, a life of generous service to others, and enough stories to be told for decades.  He is loved, he will be missed.  This is no ordinary legacy.