Bob Crook and his wife,
Peggy, enjoyed 41 years of marriage, but in some ways the last five were the
sweetest. During their final years together, they came alive in their faith and
committed themselves to the Lord. Today, in spite of his great loss of Peggy to
ovarian cancer, Bob is firm about the hope he has in Christ: “I’ve changed
completely.”
Bob’s faith was influenced
by members of the Fuller community, people God planted strategically throughout
his life. After meeting countless alumni over the years, Bob notes, “Everyone I
meet from Fuller impresses me.”
“Everyone I meet from Fuller impresses me.”
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The Fuller friend who
impressed him most was former faculty member and “maverick theologian” Ray
Anderson. The longtime Fuller professor was a neighbor of the Crooks and they
attended church together in Huntington Beach, CA. Over the years, Bob was
amazed by how many of Ray’s former students touched his life from their
positions of ministry. He enjoyed a taste of what they experienced at Fuller,
taking church classes from Ray at Fuller’s Orange County Campus. Bob’s faith
grew through the connection, especially Ray’s explanation of the centrality of
the resurrection to Christian hope. In addition to sharing his gift of teaching
and theology, Ray was a steadfast friend. When Peggy was hospitalized, Ray,
though critically ill himself, never failed to call her daily.
To honor Peggy’s memory and
Ray’s steadfast friendship, Bob decided to include Fuller and the Orange County
Campus in his estate plan. Bob
shares, “I am really pleased to be helping Fuller with its mission.” His decision to name Fuller as a
beneficiary in his estate trust reflects the impact of Ray and other Fuller
alumni on his life.