Robert C. LeCocq:
A Man of God
A Man of Family
A Man of Business
AND A lot of Fun Too!!!
A devoted Christian and follower of Jesus, and in the same character as Jesus, he didn’t preach it, he lived it. Whether it was lending an ear or a swift kick in the “you know what,” the message was always the same: “I love you and God does too.”
Rob was born in Bellingham on Sept. 21, 1955, to Charles Robert “Bob” and Violet LeCocq. He passed away on Aug. 5, 2015. Rob and younger brother Steve became the third generation of LeCocqs to live at Lake Samish. He also had a great appreciation for his Lynden/Dutch heritage. He joked easily about himself being a penny-pinching Dutchman. And yet he gave freely and generously to church and friends. He truly cared about people, especially anybody in need.
A grill master, a chicken herder and an island hopper, Rob always had a full plate, a plate he shared with many others. He was always the guy to offer a helping hand, a place to stay or an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner. Rob had a heart big enough for all. Almost 20 years ago, when he asked Joan to marry him, he said, “I have enough love to go around for you, your children and mine.” Over the years, that circle of love has just kept expanding to also include 12 grandchildren.
While raising his young daughter, Catherine, as a single parent, Rob started his own business, Mobile Hardware, servicing commercial shops in several counties. As he delivered orders to his customers over the past three decades, he got to know them on a personal level, taking time to check in, maybe join them for lunch and always tell them the joke of the day. He was known as “quite a character.”
Colonel LeCocq, in Civil War Reenacting, would be the leader to show up at afternoon formation with his wife’s parasol waving above his head to shed the afternoon sun and lighten the mood of his dedicated troops. Besides being an inspirational “Rebel Guy,” he was also known as a brilliant strategist, on and off the field, in helping guide the state association to a higher level of reenacting. Rob developed some of his strategies from his years of miniature war gaming and his extensive reading and study of the Civil War, as well as other military history.
Rob is survived by his wife, Joan; mother Violet Manteuffel; brother Steve (Cathi) LeCocq; daughter Catherine (David) Ugalde; stepchildren Tim Clark, Jesse (Dani) Clark, Amy (Jeremy) Wattam, Stephanie (B.J.) Childs and Jenny Plue; grandchildren Ariana, Genevieve, Kaleb, Addison, Tamon, Phoenix, Nikita, Victoria, Zekiah, Meadow, Robbie and Alexa; and nephews Ryan and Dustin LeCocq.
Rob truly lived his faith and his values in a way that made an impact on everyone he met. “A single act of caring creates an endless ripple.” The ripples Rob created in life will continue creating an impact endlessly. He will be missed by many.
A visitation will be held on Aug. 17 from 9 to 10 a.m. at Moles Greenacres Memorial Park, followed by a 10:30 a.m. graveside service. A memorial service will be held the same day at noon at a location to be determined.
Please visit the online guestbook at molesfarewelltributes.com.
Arrangements by Moles Farewell Tributes — Greenacres.
