A little over a year ago I sat down at my mum’s kitchen table with my Pop, Frank Cook, and recorded what would become one of the most special conversations I’ve ever had. At the time he was 101 years old... sharp as a tack, funny as hell, still telling stories and cracking jokes like a bloke half his age.

And now, after saying goodbye to him at 102 just this year, this episode is even more special... so here I am sharing it again.

Pop was born in 1924. He grew up on a farm in Tasmania when people still travelled by horse and cart, when school was too far away for many kids to attend, and long before television ever reached Australia. His father carried shrapnel in his leg from WWI, WWII broke out when Pop was just 15, and life was built on hard work, community, resilience, and character.

This is a chat with a legend of a man who made it to 102 without ever becoming bitter. A bloke who proudly said he’d made “thousands of friends and not a single enemy.” A husband, father, grandfather, sportsman, farmer, and one of the most rock-solid humans I’ve ever known.

Instead of saying "I'm sorry to lose him", I'm going to say "let's celebrate a long, happy, healthy life lived like the perfect fairytale right to his last moments. Honestly... if there’s a better way to leave this world than peacefully surrounded by family after 102 years of love & laughter... I ain't sure what it is.

I feel incredibly bloody proud to call him my Pop.

I hope ya'll love listening to his stories as much as I do.

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com