David Crook

CROOK David Crook, 88, died Friday, September 28, 2012, just a year after the death of his beloved wife Pat. Born August 29, 1924, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Herbert and Mary Crook adopted Dave when he was two years old; the family later immigrated to Detroit, Michigan. It was in Detroit that Dave met Patricia LaLonde; he always said it was love at first sight. Dave lived life to the fullest. He was a Seabee in the Navy, building bases in New Guinea, the Philippines and Guam during WWII. He married Patricia in Detroit in 1947; it was a joyous union for 64 years. He was a wonderful father: patient, kind, fun-loving. He taught his children to love the outdoors, through family camping trips, as a leader of Scott's Boy Scout troop, and on his three six-month trips to Alaska with Pat-adventures in camping in their AirStream trailer, salmon fishing and encounters with grizzly bears. He valued education; making sure that his children, and later Pat, earned college degrees. He was a self-made man, starting as an appliance repairman with Westinghouse and retiring as a vice president of parts and appliances, with only a high school diploma, his experience with the Seabees and his considerable innate intelligence. He turned those same skills to making houses into homes for his family, finishing or renovating every house he and Pat bought, then doing the same with the houses his kids purchased. He was a wonderful grandfather. He and Pat arranged several family vacations, at Glen Lake in Michigan and Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. He took great joy in his grandchildren, patiently teaching them to fish, row a boat and catch crabs, as well as modeling for them the joys of loving and honoring marriage and family. He loved without boundaries. He and Pat enjoyed traveling. Scott provided opportunities for many destinations by being sent all over the world for his job, they visited Scott and his family in Paris and Pau in France and Cote d'Ivoire in Africa. Starting in 1973, Saskatchewan became a frequent destination. Dave was adopted at age two and 1973 was the year that he discovered a family he had not known of before: brothers, John and Charles, sister, Mary, and many nieces and nephews. They immediately became a happy part of his life, filling "a gap in my life I never knew was there," he said. Dave is survived by four children, Sharon (Wayne) West; Pamela Crook Raines; Scott (Ingrid) Crook and Colleen (Greg Koltun) Crook; seven grandchildren, Zach West, Kelsey Raines, Ben Raines, Davin Crook, Kirsten Crook, Alex Koltun and Stefan Koltun, and many nieces and nephews in Canada. His first grandchild, Lauren Crook, died in 1984. His birth mother, Eva Mildred Nelson Keen, died in 1946. Family and friends may gather from 3-4 p.m. Thursday, October 4, 2012 at the First Community Village chapel, 1802 Riverside Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43212. A memorial service will begin at 4 p.m. A private inurnment will take place at Maple Grove Cemetery in Granville, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, Dave's family requests contributions to the charity of your choice. Arrangements by SOUTHWICK-GOOD & FORTKAMP FUNERAL CHAPEL. www.southwickfuneral.com