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Growing up at FWYC . . .
Past Commodore Fred and Pamela Cooke were the epitome of yacht club members.
They were among some of the very early members of the Fort Walton Yacht Club who
embraced all aspects of sailing and social activities. They served on as many committees
as they could, and left legacies of "making things right and beautiful" at the Club. Fred
was dedicated to promoting yachting through his involvement on the Race Committee
for many, many years and Pamela, being an Australian native, brought out the "yacht" in
all facets of our club. They were instrumental in trying to get the Club to grow, to be a
major part of the community.
One of the biggest legacies that Fred and Pamela left was their
grandson, Darren Cooke. Fred and Pamela saw a need for Past Commodore Fred and
Darren to "have something to do." That "something" became Pamela Cooke, in the 1990s
sailing and grew into a passion for Darren as well as his family.
It started out, as with many youngsters, with summer sailing lessons. Darren remembers Fran
Goodall spearheading the lessons, but also long time member, Ed Horton who took him
Darren on a Sunfish
as a teenager
under his wing to instill the love of sailing. His love of the sport progressed from the lessons
to sailing on Flying Scots with sailing families such as the Browns, Harrisons, O’Briens and
Johnsons . Alex Cooke, Darren's uncle, was also a huge influence in his involvement in the GYA Capdevielle scene,
as were other Juniors, Kevin Bowyer and Robert Harrison.
Another important milestone in Darren's life was that Grandfather Fred encouraged him to attend his alma mater,
Lincoln Memorial University, in the Cumberland Hills of Tennessee. Darren had to leave his sailing passion on
shore for a few years, but he came back to the area every chance he got. The school was isolated, but Darren said
that it was the best thing that could have happened to him. It kept him in check and focused on getting his education.
Darren also met his wife, Sherri, while there.
After college, Darren came back to the area. He and Sherri were married and although Sherri had never sailed, she
fell into it and realized that it would be a part of their life. Sherri's first sailboat race was a wake-up call for her.
Darren told her the time to be at the club, but didn't mention that she needed to be on time because the race wouldn't
wait for anyone. She came strolling down the dock, a little late, which wasn't a good introduction. Sherri came away
realizing that racing sailors are really serious about their races.
Darren and Sherri have four children, Ian, Seth, Alexandria, and Annie. Their children
have also grown up at the yacht club making memories. Ian, who attends college in
Tallahassee, returns on occasion to enjoy the races while navigating the Pamela B, their
Mainship 34. Seth has recently joined the Club as a young adult member and continues the
Cooke legacy. Seth is a fourth generation yacht club member. Alexandria and Annie enjoy
the club and activities as well as the many members when th ^H\