All the love pouring out from the membership is a testament to the impact that Coot had on this place. And this was vicariously on a Gator message board! I can only imagine the impact he had on those he knew and interacted with personally.
As many have noted, he was a treasure trove of information, whether it be on construction matters (e.g. teaching the less able among us on how to correctly patch a hole in Sheetrock) or how to manage a bucket garden for tomato production or how to make the finest pepper sauce. He also had a great humor about him, a big part of it involved getting on your @ss after you said or did (and admitted) something stupid. Of course, the men among us recognize that this is truly how heterosexual males show love for one another and thereby avoid the scrutiny of certain peers and society as a whole. And in that spirit, Coot was indeed a “natural born lovin’ man.”
If ever there was a lasting tribute, it would have to include good sausage and cane syrup, a reference to the “Senorita” that Coot allegedly spent some time with in his traveling days, and a photo of him on the Zoom call, incognito with his construction paper mustache. Those are just a few things that I recall that still bring a smile. There are definitely many, many more and I hope that they will be shared and in that way, Coot will never be gone for good.