our brother zooker

[WaffleJaw]

Ive been staring at the computer screen speechless.
There are no right words for this....My heart goes out to the families and all of you who knew him.

May Zooker put his tired hands to rest.
As God breaks our hearts to prove to us he only takes the best.

[doc]

Very sad to hear, I will say a prayer for him and his family.

I bet there are alot if scared bucketmouthes up in heaven right now.

[Jim80]

I can't find the words to relate what is going through my head and heart right know , I was only lucky enough to talk to zooker over the phone and he will be missed my prayers will be with his family



Jim

[Bassboss]

Hey does anyone know what his favorite color top water bait is? I'm gonna make a top water dedicated to him. Of course it'll be named "The Zooker."

Thanks if anyone knows.

[mrs bamabassman]

Zooker, may you rest in peace. Sorry you suffered this past year...I know in my heart you are finally well again. We'll see you in Heaven.

My prayers go out to his Mom, Dad and Family. We love you guys.

[bamabassman]

please bear with me gang. i have been sitting here for about an hour trying to figure out what to say. it is extremely hard to put into words how i feel. all i can say is that i truly loved the man. i know we all loved him in our own way.
i recieved the call from his little sister this morning at 11:00 a.m. i called earlier and he was on comfort meds, meaning he was on so much morphine he was out. his sister-in-law answered the phone and was telling me how he wasn't going to last thru the day they thought. BUT he was STILL fighting it to the VERY END. that's our ZOOKER he never gave up the fight gang.
then i got the call and his sister told me he passed away. peacefully. he went in his sleep she said. when the rest of the family gets there and the shock is over of his passing she promised to call with the details of the final arrangments.
he is not going to have a funeral as far as i know. he is to be cremated and his ashes put into the YAKEN rivers. there will be a memorial service, date to come forthwith.
i sent a picture of ZOOKER on my boat on his last fishing trip to kevin. he will post it for me as i can't post pics from my phone. there is another of him in my chair in my house with his BAMA cap on i gave him too.
i ask this of each and every one of you who read this. keep his family in your prayers. remember him as he wanted you too. FULL of life and happy with living. he loved this site and the many friends on it. he has told me more than once that the KENTUCKY get together event was the BEST time he had EVER had at an event like it. there will be another that i am going to host myself with my other brother woody (if he will). and i want to dedicate it to zooker's memory. details of that will come in the winter.
for now gang, please keep the prayers going for ZOOKER'S mother, father, brothers and sisters. he fought the illness like a champion. always wanting to have fun in his last days. i know the time he spent with lisa and i were fun for him. my only regret is that he didn't catch a bass on guntersville lake but he did on weise (over 3 lbs) but he enjoyed being on the water. i could tell he was HOME on the lake. rod in his hands, and bait in the water.

he is now in his NEW bass rig, and has the best partner there is beside him. i can see him catching the prettiest, biggest hawgmollies ever to be seen. fish on BROTHER ZOOKER, fish on.................................

[texasbasser]

Im sure all of the members here that have been here a while remember me back when I first joined. I had done alot of immature things and was really, really stupid and ignorant. It was a PM from Zooker that was more like an essay, telling me how much of an idiot and unrespected I had become with the choices I had made on here. That ultimately led to me leaving this site for a year or so, and came back. Ive grown up, im not the immature boy I once was. I've realized, though, that that PM from Zooker is what changed me for the better. So glad to be back.

RIP bud.

TB

[bassinbob]

Truly a major loss to everyone who knew him. I never met or talked with Zooker but felt like he was a brother through his posts. Praying for him and his family. To those of you on here who were close to him thank you for expressing thoughts I can not.

[Jrob78]

I talked to Zooker only a few times in the chatroom. To those of you who really knew him and were close to him, you have my deepest condolences. I felt his presence the moment i joined the forum.

I say this with my deepest respect for him and for all of you, I had a thought that I would like to share. Again, I say this knowing that it isn't really my place to do so.

I would like to propose a moment of silence, or a day of silence if you will. A day where no one visits the forum, a day for all of us as a whole to pay respect to someone who meant a great deal to many of the members and to this forum.

Forgive me if I have spoken out of turn. Many of us didn't know him but would like to pay our respect in someway.

[bamabassman]

first of all THANK YOU KEVIN for posting the pictures for me.
jrob, i like the idea pal. maybe kevin can help us out with someting similier to what you are proposing. but remember this my friend.......ZOOKER would want us to continue on. he wasn't the kind of man to let his passing interfer with what he loved to do. fish, hunt and TALK about fishing and hunting. maybe a thread of what he has done to help us do these things would serve better. i don't know. i can't really think clearly right now, so forgive me ok?
on another note. his mother just called me. she told me that ZOOKER was planning a huge bonfire and cookout on labor day at his house. as ya'll know, lisa and i had already planned a trip up there that weekend. well, we are STILL GOING. so if anyone here wants to attend, please let me know. i will get you directions to the house. she wants us to CELEBRATE his passing and have a grand time. talk about what he loved to do and share memories of him. bring photos if you have any. now i know it will not be possible for most of you to attend. even so, if you want to contribute something you can send it to me and i will do it for you. pictures will be returned if you send them to me. this is the memorial they are planning in lew of a funeral i think.
jrob, you have NOT overstepped your boundries my friend. we are all hurting in the passing of such a dear friend. thank you very much.

[Bassboss]

John, you said it perfectly bud! You really knew him well, I'm sure words cannot describe how you feel right now. He was your brother. God bless you John - Zooker couldn't have asked for a better one!

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

first of all THANK YOU KEVIN for posting the pictures for me.
jrob, i like the idea pal. maybe kevin can help us out with someting similier to what you are proposing. but remember this my friend.......ZOOKER would want us to continue on. he wasn't the kind of man to let his passing interfer with what he loved to do. fish, hunt and TALK about fishing and hunting. maybe a thread of what he has done to help us do these things would serve better. i don't know. i can't really think clearly right now, so forgive me ok?
on another note. his mother just called me. she told me that ZOOKER was planning a huge bonfire and cookout on labor day at his house. as ya'll know, lisa and i had already planned a trip up there that weekend. well, we are STILL GOING. so if anyone here wants to attend, please let me know. i will get you directions to the house. she wants us to CELEBRATE his passing and have a grand time. talk about what he loved to do and share memories of him. bring photos if you have any. now i know it will not be possible for most of you to attend. even so, if you want to contribute something you can send it to me and i will do it for you. pictures will be returned if you send them to me. this is the memorial they are planning in lew of a funeral i think.
jrob, you have NOT overstepped your boundries my friend. we are all hurting in the passing of such a dear friend. thank you very much.

Hmm great idea John, I talk to my dad about something. I finished up that lure I was talking about, I went ahead and painted it already. I did in fact name it "The Zooker" like I said I would. The paint job looks pretty crappy, but I think it'll run, and catch fish. Maybe I could send that over?

[keithdog]

I just got home from work and am just now reading all this, trying to take it all in. We've lost a great friend, and a great man. Things around here won't be the same for a while. Bamma, your right buddy, Zooker would want us to go on, and I have no doubt he'll be watching. It's so very hard to believe we won't see his humor, his advice, and his "Zooker being Zooker". I'd love to see something done here to memorialize him. I hope I can make it to his house. What a wonderful idea! Thankyou so much John, not only for always keeping us informed, but for also being such a good friend to Zooker. You and Lisa no doubt made a huge difference these past tough months. Tomorow, I am going to be on the water. I will be thinking of our ol'e buddy Zooker the whole time. I know I'll be talking to him, with every fish I catch. I'm going to miss you ol'e buddy. Gods speed, and leave a few for the rest of us for when we all meet you up there.

[Jim80]

maybe we could set up a conference cal prayer like , kevin did a while back ? just a thought .


Jim

[islandbass]

Wow. I am at a loss for words. I will truly miss his posts and although I never personally met him I felt like I knew him for a long time. He's fishing heavenly waters now.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by Kevin

This is a wonderful photo of our buddy Zooker. Thankyou Kevin. It's my desk top pic now.

[nofearengineer]

I just don't know what to say. I really thought the guy might pull through. He definitely sounded upbeat about it all when I talked to him on the phone. Boy, did ol' Zook like to talk on the phone.

We all miss you, Zook.

Tight lines, buddy.

[everettvet]

I have been at a loss for words since I read John's post on facebook. I have been trying to think of what I would type since then. I am at a loss for words.

Rest in Peace, Zooker. You will be missed!!

[Bubba_Bruiser]

I seldom get text in my room on the rig, but last night my phone went off with this news. Needless to say it was a restless night. I never met him face to face, but we talked on the phone from time to time and felt like we had been hanging out for years. I hate I never got to make that last call, but I am glad I got to know him. I send prayers for comfort to his family and friends. He was a big man with a big stature, he will be missed for sure. Rest in peace brother.

[Kevin]

As owner of the site, I feel obligated to say something on this day, but to be honest, I'm at such a loss of words... I feel like anything I say right now, simply won't be enough. What a sad day to lose our friend Zooker.

I'm not sure of the exact date Zooker joined the site, but he's been here for a LONG time. When you think of the number of people Zooker has made friends with on here, it is truly a testament to his devotion to the sport of fishing and his outgoing personality, which has touched many of us as we see in this thread.

I'm lucky to have met Zooker at the Member Event in Kentucky, and will never forget how much of a gentle giant he was.. emphasis on GIANT.

I said a lot of prayers for Zooker, and though our prayers for his full healing and recovery may not have been answered, I truly believe our prayers for his continued strength and fortitude to get through his circumstances were. I'm sure God had a plan, and now I just pray for his family's healing and comfort. May they find joyous days ahead knowing Zook is in good hands.

I got to talk to Zooker through his hospital stays and I never once heard a man that was defeated, or felt defeated. I would always get off the phone thinking to myself how strong Zook sounded, despite the obstacles that lay in front of him. He seemed to take it in stride and looked to brighter days ahead. It takes a strong person to be that way... and he was.

I've thought a lot today about how quickly things took a turn for the worse in the past weeks. But then I thought about how he got to spend time with John and Lisa and even got some fishing time in with them. I said this in my 'Kevin's Member Event Experience', but I'll say it again... John and Lisa are living saints, and I can't imagine two better, more fun, people that he could have spent his final time enjoying life with.

Zooker's memory will forever be with us. He'll always be a big part of this forum and we'll never forget his participation and friendship.

There is a special bond between anglers. I don't know about you, but one of the saddest moments today was when I thought about how Zooker won't be able to fish anymore (here on earth at least). I don't know if that sounds small, considering the gravity of the situation, but I just wish he could go fishing one more time.

[rrw4258]

Wow, i am at a loss for words as well. I never got to meet the big guy, but it feels like I have been punched in the stomach... my prayers are with his family. Rest in peace Zook.

Ryan

[Bender]

I don't know what to say either. He will be missed a lot, I know by me. I never got to meet him in person but had many video chats and phone call. I sure felt like I knew him very well. He really was a great guy, one of the good ones for sure. Please keep us posted about any memorial.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by Kevin

There is a special bond between anglers. I don't know about you, but one of the saddest moments today was when I thought about how Zooker won't be able to fish anymore (here on earth at least). I don't know if that sounds small, considering the gravity of the situation, but I just wish he could go fishing one more time.

No, it's not a small thought at all Kevin. I know were all feeling exactly that same thing. And your right about the bond between anglers. I've seen the bond that exists here between all of us. God had a plan for you Kevin when he put the idea into your head to start this site. How many of us would never have known Zooker if it were not for this site. So many friendships have developed because of this site. And we all feel the pain of the loss of our dear friend. No, it doesn't sound small at all. Tomorrow, I'm going fishing. And although I never got the chance to fish with Zooker, I can tell you I'll be talking to him tomorrow. And I'll be tossing that 100 Bandit he so loved to throw. And I can't help but believe he'll be there with me, smiling when I catch one on it, tellin me to try to catch one big enough to weigh next time. That was his kind of humor. That was his way. And he'll be missed all the more for it.

[nmanley]

I feared the worst when I read he was not doing good again. Now, I read he is with our Father in heaven. I never got to know Zooker but I lost a friend of similar stature (Size) and he was a good natured gentle guy too. I know how I felt when cancer took him. Good bless those left behind and remember Zooker will always be with you in spirit.

My condolences to all who knew him.

[CMorg]

I too never knew Zook , never talked on the phone or much in posts. But I am saddened to see another member/angler pass from the nasty C word. I too thank John for his friendship and keeping us informed during this time. I wish his family and friends peace and wellbeing. The good lord has a plan , and he always does as he will. Even though no one wanted this to happen , it simply must have been his time. God Bless.