Veteran ‘This Old House’ Star Dies at 70

A veteran star of the long-running PBS home renovation series This Old House has died.

Roger Cook, a landscape architect who starred on the show for nearly 40 years, passed away on August 21 at the age of 70 following a protracted illness. A post to his Instagram page on Thursday confirmed the tragic news.

“Saddened to announce that God called dad home this week,” Cook’s children wrote. “He will leave a void in our lives that can never be filled, but we find solace knowing he is finally at peace after a long, determined struggle with illness.”

Cook joined This Old House in 1982 during its second season. The same year, he and his wife Kathleen incorporated R&K Landscaping. According to the show’s website, the business began with “"one Jeep pulling a trailer full of lawn-care equipment" and became a "full-service landscape construction firm" which is still in operation today.

“Very saddened to hear this news,” @gk_builds commented on Instagram. “God bless him and your family. He was such a joy to watch and learn from all these years.”

“Roger was a pillar of the DIY community and touched the lives of millions of people across the world,” @cgriesemer said. “Couldn’t have asked for a better ambassador than Roger Cook.”

“Watching Roger Cook when I was younger with my dad brought us so much joy and then watching my son fall in love with yard work and landscaping and weed eaters and lawn mowers through Roger was a magical thing,” @longlistoflovejb wrote. “It helped grow his love for something that my dad loved, and I’ll be forever grateful for Roger for doing that.”

Cook left This Old House in 2020 amidst his illness. He is survived by his son, Jason, and daughter, Molly, as well as a brother, daughter-in-law, and three grandsons. Kathleen died in 2010 after a battle with cancer .