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Remembering Forrest Cook
Adventurer and lawyer Forrest Cook, our former partner and friend, died peacefully May 14, 2020, of natural causes.
Known for his quiet demeanor and sharp intellect, Forrest helped build the bedrock on which HBC stands today. Always practical in his approach, Forrest guided clients for decades through real estate purchases, estate planning decisions, and, in the case of Ernie Betasso, the sale of 712 acres of open space to Boulder County Parks and Open Space so that others could enjoy the land for generations. We will remember Forrest for his illustrative stories, his adventurous spirit, and his sage advice.
Forrest began his career as a teacher in Ault, Colorado, and later pursued his passion for education by serving on the School Board for the Boulder Valley School District. When he joined the firm in 1965, he was a husband to Donna (River) Cook and a father to Kurt (3), with another child on the way (Janet, born in 1966). The transactional law practice that Forrest enjoyed included a decades-long representation of the Boulder County Public Trustee and the Left Hand Ditch Company. He was instrumental in developing the firm sabbatical program, using his own sabbaticals to pursue his passion for sailing and travel.
Outside of work, Forrest was a bit of a Renaissance man with a keen interest in building and fixing all manner of things. In the 1960’s, Forrest and Donna built their home in Four Mile Canyon – a residence that Donna and Forrest lived in for most of their 66 years of marriage – leaving only to be closer to their daughter Janet in Hood River, Oregon, in 2010.
Later, Forrest built his own sailboat from a bare steel hull he had delivered to his front yard in Four Mile Canyon. After three years of finish work, Forrest took his boat for its maiden voyage – a solo sail from California to the Marquesas Islands. And after that, Forrest rebuilt and restored a 1970 Chevy Camaro into mint condition that he proudly drove into his 80’s.
It is difficult to relate an HBC anecdote without touching upon Forrest’s dry humor and incredible talent for self-sufficiency. More than one lawyer remembers accompanying Forrest on a site visit to a parcel of land to acquire a necessary understanding of a legal matter. Others fondly recall trips with Forrest to the local landfill - sometimes as extra muscle for one of Forrest’s construction projects but always with some lesson to be learned about land use in Boulder County. Donna and Forrest hosted countless rafting, sailing and ski trips for members of the firm, the last of which was held at their beautiful home in Steamboat, Colorado (the interior of which was, of course, constructed by them and their children).
Forrest was a legal counselor in the truest sense of the word – by providing wise advice that considered not only legal principles but also practical solutions. At HBC he leaves a legacy of quiet contemplation and good humor, and serves as a model for a life well and truly lived.