What Happened to This Old House’s Roger Cook? Remembering TOH Legend.

If you watched This Old House for years, Roger Cook probably felt like part of the family—steady voice, practical advice, and that calm way of making hard outdoor work look doable. Public records and official memorials show that Roger A. Cook was born on March 12, 1954. He was born in Biddeford, Maine, later lived in Woburn, and grew up in Burlington, Massachusetts. He graduated from Burlington High School (Class of 1972), then earned a B.S. in wildlife management and conservation law from the University of Maine in 1977.

Before he became a TV fixture, Roger built his reputation through hands-on landscaping work. In 1982, he and his wife Kathleen (“Kathy”) founded K&R Tree and Landscape. Official company and memorial accounts describe very modest beginnings—one Jeep, a trailer, and lawn equipment—before the company expanded into a full-service landscape construction firm. This entrepreneurial phase matters because it explains why Roger always sounded like a working contractor first, TV personality second: his expertise came from decades on job sites.

His television career followed the same trajectory: start small, then become essential. Roger first appeared on This Old House in 1982 (the show’s second season), became a full-time landscape contractor in 1988 during the Lexington Bed & Breakfast renovation, and later joined Ask This Old House when that series debuted in 2002. This Old House’s official remembrance says his run effectively spanned nearly 40 years, including dozens of project houses and hundreds of homeowner-focused segments. Professionally, he was also a certified landscape contractor in Massachusetts and active in major trade associations, which helped cement his “pro’s pro” status.

So, what happened to Roger Cook’s health? The most reliable answer comes from Roger himself and official family/TOH statements. In a June 2018 letter, Roger said he had been dealing with “several health issues” that made TV work more difficult, and he announced he was reducing his on-screen role to focus on health and family. The This Old House memorial later notes he stepped down in 2020 because of health issues, and his obituary states he died after an extended illness. Importantly, these official sources do not publicly identify a specific diagnosis. In other words, the public record confirms prolonged health struggles, but not a named condition.

The final chapter is heartbreaking. Roger Cook passed away on August 21, 2024, at age 70, after what official notices describe as a long/extended illness. Tributes from colleagues emphasized both his technical brilliance and his personality—quiet, direct, generous, and deeply committed to mentorship in the trades. His obituary requested that, in lieu of flowers, people plant a tree in their communities, which feels fitting for someone whose life work centered on landscapes and stewardship.

Now, about his wife, Kathy—because that is a major part of this story. Kathleen “Kathy” Ellen Gulde Cook died on December 1, 2010, at Massachusetts General Hospital after what her obituary describes as a long battle with cancer. She was 56. Her obituary presents her as far more than “Roger’s wife”: she was founder of Gulde-Cook Insurance Agency, co-owner of K&R, and a respected businesswoman known for warmth and integrity with clients. She was born in Woburn, was a lifelong Burlington resident, graduated Burlington High School in 1972, and earned a Sociology degree from Merrimack College.

Her obituary also provides family context that helps explain the depth of their partnership. Kathy and Roger had been married 31 years, and she is described as an intensely devoted mother who centered family life around her children and close-knit routines, including time at their Falmouth home. Funeral records note services in Burlington and interment at Pine Haven Cemetery, with memorial donations directed to gastrointestinal cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital. That combination—business leadership, family focus, and long illness—explains why her death in 2010 remained such a defining event in Roger’s life story.

What is known about their children? Public records consistently identify two children: Jason Roger Cook and Molly E. Cook. After Roger’s death, official TOH and obituary materials also list Jason’s wife, Anna, and Roger’s three grandsons, Peter, Noah, and James. Beyond those names and family statements, the children appear to have kept much of their private lives out of public coverage—which is fairly common in families connected to long-running TV personalities. So while the family is publicly named, detailed personal biographies of the children are limited in official public sources.

One meaningful postscript is legacy. According to the family statement shared by This Old House, Jason said one of Roger’s biggest regrets during illness was that he could no longer help people in the same way, and that this inspired the family to set up a giving initiative in his memory. The Cook Family Giving Fund describes itself as a 501(c)(3) focused on wildlife and land conservation, medical research, childhood education/athletics, and military veterans—causes Roger and his family cared deeply about.

Put simply: Roger Cook’s life story is one of craft, service, and family resilience. He built a respected landscaping business, became one of the most trusted experts in home-improvement television, and then faced a prolonged illness that gradually took him off-screen before his passing in 2024. Years earlier, his wife Kathy had died after her own cancer battle in 2010. Their surviving family—Jason, Molly, and the next generation—has carried that legacy forward in both private life and public philanthropy.