The veteran star of the long-running PBS home renovation series This Old House died.
Landscape architect Roger Cook, who starred in the series for nearly 40 years, passed away on August 21 at the age of 70 after a long illness. A post on his Instagram page on Thursday confirmed the tragic news.
“I am saddened to announce that God has called my father home this week,” Cook’s children wrote. “It will leave a void in our lives that can never be filled, but we take comfort in knowing that after a long and determined battle with the disease, he has finally found peace.”
Cook joined This Old House in its second season in 1982. That same year, he founded R&K Landscaping with his wife, Kathleen. According to the show's website, the business started with “a Jeep pulling a trailer full of lawn care equipment” and grew into a “full-service landscape construction firm” that is still in business today.
“I'm so sorry to hear this news,” @gk_builds commented on Instagram. “God bless him and your family. It's been such a joy to watch and learn from him all these years.”
“Roger was a pillar of the DIY community and touched the lives of millions of people around the world,” said @cgriesemer. “I couldn’t have asked for a better ambassador than Roger Cook.”
“Watching Roger Cook with my dad when I was little brought us so much joy and then watching my son fall in love with gardening, landscaping, weeders and lawnmowers because of Roger was magical,” @longlistoflovejb wrote. “He helped grow my dad’s love of something he loved and I will be forever grateful to Roger for doing that.”
Food is on the left This Old House In the midst of her illness in 2020. She is survived by her son Jason and daughter Molly, as well as a brother, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. Kathleen died in 2010 after a battle with cancer.
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