I am saddened tonight at the news that one of my oldest and best friends with whom I worked at KLRU-TV and Austin City Limits has passed away in an untimely fashion on July 31st, 2014. George L. Jorge Cook was the scene shop supervisor at KLRU and ran that facility on the 2nd floor of Communications Bldg. B when I first came it work at KLRU in 1978. George was a consummate professional scenic carpenter and craftsman, whose skill, professionalism and attention to detail made him one of the very best artists in the area of scenic design and construction Ive ever known. George was also kind, considerate, thoughtful, fair, reasonable and accommodating, all the qualities you HOPE a boss or supervisor would possess, but rarely does in the way George brought to every project and crew. Some of my best memories of my 33 years at KLRU and Austin City Limits were the times I spent working with George. I say working WITH George because he never had to be the boss, his calm, self-assured style of leadership made him a natural choice as a supervisor. He encouraged the best work from everyone on the crew and he got it because he could teach you the skills to do ANY scenic design or construction job with confidence and competence. The KLRU scene shop closed and became obsolete many years ago, which is a shame because George executed countless projects there with style, craftsmanship and always delivered a quality product on-time and on budget. But George was also a great friend, mentor, comrade, confidante and buddy and I always enjoyed and looked forward to my time spent working with George. I was happy when he was laid-off from KLRU that he made a smooth transition to become the scene shop foreman at the Performing Arts Center at the University of Texas. Many times through the years KLRU did productions there and Georges presence as the scenic supervisor always made it feel just like we were back in studio 6A or 6B at KLRU-TV. Georges passing is a great tragedy not only due to its untimely and unexpected nature, but especially because he was such a great man and the kind of person our world needs MORE of, not less. From my 1st days at KLRU, George made me feel welcome, accepted and part of the team. He was the best example of a true Texan I knew in Austin, with that unique and singular pride Texans take in their state and their long, illustrious heritage. George loved the Texas Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys, and even though I loved Penn State and the Pittsburgh Steelers, we always got along even though we were clear football rivals. I can remember vividly how gracious George was to me after the Steelers beat the Cowboys in the 1979 Super Bowl in the legendary battle between those two iconic 1970s NFL teams. George was a class act and a tremendous friend to me, and I shall grieve his passing deeply and miss him terribly, even though I have not seen or spoken to George in many years. He was a wonderful guy and a really great man. Vaya con Dios, my compadre. I hope God blesses you and welcomes you home with a gloriously beautiful West Texas sunset in the background as you enter the kingdom of heaven, my dear old friend. Happy Trails! My most sincere and heartfelt sympathy and condolences to his wife Deborah and his family and many, many friends.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 01:08:00 +0000
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