[Obituary] Prominent insurance adviser remembered

The 70-year-old has died after a long battle with cancer.

He took over from Brian Klee at the helm of the LUA in New Zealand in 1991. Klee said the two men got to know each other well – Cook was a keen runner, who would sometimes wake at 5am to run, with a sub-three hour marathon time. “He inspired me into running a marathon.”

Cook was also a member of Toastmasters and represented this country in a competition in the United States. His entry was disqualified because the person who was the topic of his speech had already been spoken about but Klee said a judge told Cook that his was the best performance.

“He had very high standards,” Klee said. “He was a brilliant speaker and very much a family man.”

Cook worked as an independent broker for many years before moving into business advisory and coaching services, with Action Coach.

He was diagnosed with cancer many years ago but sought a range of treatments to tackle it. “Because of his personality he tried everything possible,” Klee said. “He got another 20 years after being diagnosed.”

Klee said he was also known for his dedication to his family, particularly his grandchildren.