Forty-five days after a glioblastoma diagnosis, Billings (Bill) Allen Cooke of Hyde Park, VT passed away in the early hours of May 25. Born 1953 in Worcester, MA to Frank and Marjorie Cooke, Bill was the youngest and only surviving son of the North Brookfield, MA couple. The first steam car was purchased when he was five, and the first Rolls Royce--at the behest of his mother that Frank get a car that starts with a key and NOT a blowtorch--arrived when he was eight.

He attended Wilbraham Academy and was part of the last class to graduate before the academy merged to become Wilbraham Monson. He ran cross country, participated in theater and took up water skiing, becoming quite competitive in the slalom courses--enough to train alongside Olympic athletes. He got a bachelor's degree from New England College during which he spent two years as an exchange student in England where he made life long friends and spent the summers with his parents on international car tours working his way up from baggage hauling to mechanic on call.

Those steam cars and Rolls Royces stayed with the family and Bill was the only of his siblings to graduate beyond polishing the headlights. Working with his dad at The Vintage Garage he learned the entire car, and became the country's leading specialist in engine rebuilding. Bringing knocking engines back to the renowned smoothness Sir Henry Royce engineered them to have. A set of cutaway engines that Bill and Frank created for display at events are housed at the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts headquarters in Towcester, UK.

With the passing of his parents, he moved to Vermont and continued working on pre-war Rolls Royces and Bentleys in Stowe. He kept the steam cars and none of the Rolls Royces from his father's collection often joking he worked on such luxury vehicles to be able to afford to play with a Stanley. He met his wife Sarah Moon soon after that move, and they made a good team for 17 years. Spending the summers easily putting a thousand miles on each of the antique cars touring mostly in New England with a few longer hauls as far west as Michigan and south as Florida. The winters were for repairing what broke during those adventures. He made sure she could hold her own with each vehicle. Their favorites were a '65 Daytona Cobra coupe Bill built and a 1912 Stanley touring car that Bill and Frank took 30 years to restore from a pile of parts.

Bill is survived by his wife Sarah, and sister Susan Slater of Florida. Predeceased by his parents Frank and Marjorie, brother Steven, sisters Di Tuppany and Karin Cooke Forshay.

A celebration of life was held a week before his passing at his hometown where he was able to enjoy the loving embrace of long time friends and family one last time.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Stanley Museum at 40 School Street, P.O. Box 77, Kingfield, Maine 04947.