Sad News- We lost a friend today- Gene Cole

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Today I lost a dear friend and fellow phonograph collector. Gene Cole passed away today just before 1:00 pm. Last Tuesday, Gene fell at home and broke his hip. After the surgery to repair the break, he declined very quickly--

Gene was 94 ½ years young. He was a World War II veteran, a successful small business owner, active in his church and a regular at Phonograph shows and auctions.

He and I met in 1992. Though I am nearly 30 years younger than Gene, I helped him get started collecting phonographs. He had just retired and sold his business when he found a Diamond Disc machine at a yardsale. A mutual friend put him in touch with me and we began a friendship that lasted for 27 years.

Gene jumped into the hobby with a passion and quickly became known in our area for the quality of his collection and for his restoration abilities. He and his wife Ellen enjoyed traveling to all the shows- Orlando, Charlotte, Union, Wayne, as well as Stanton's auctions.

I've spent many an hour with Gene in his shop, while we scratched our heads over a machine that wouldn't run right. As my kids got older and I had more time, Gene and I traveled to many of the shows together. He never lost his love for the hobby and for the 'deal'. Just a few weeks ago, he asked me to help him leave an absentee bid on a front-mount Columbia AH. He was sure he could fix it up and "make a real nice piece." Even last week after his fall and surgery, when I visited him in the hospital, he was talking about a machine he wanted to buy on Craigslist.

His daughter Debbie, wife Ellen, a couple of his church friends and I were with him when he passed peacefully into the hands of his loving God. I will miss him dearly.

Brad Abell

[phonogfp]

Gosh, I'm sorry to hear about Gene. He was a great guy.

Thanks for passing this along, Brad, and I'm sorry for your loss.

George P.

[pellicano1]

Didnt know him but sad to hear the news!!

[emerson]

Gene had a really nice personality -----from meeting him at the shows, it seemed he just radiated the enjoyment he had for life and whatever he was involved with. Will miss seeing him at the shows---but have to Thank Him in my prayer for letting me know him.

[Ripduf1]

Hi Brad,
So sorry to here this news. I guess this is inevitable but seems like Gene always showed up at the shows! What strikes me a such a surprise, I know through you he was recently looking for some harder to find parts. Amazing to stay interested in the hobby at 94 - lets hope phonos keep us all young like that!

My thoughts are with you, I know he was a close friend. John

[phonolady]

Brad,
Thanks for letting us know and we are so sorry to hear about Gene's passing.
We also saw him at many shows, and he invited me to stay at his home when I was up there
many years ago. I also came to see you when up there and I know you were great friends.
Although we have not seen him lately, we loved Gene, always enjoyed hearing from him and will miss him
greatly.
Please tell Ellen she is in our prayers and how special Gene was to us.
Thanks again for the notification, we are very sad.

Sincerely,

David & Lerria Rosamond

[EarlH]

Brad,
Gosh, he and his wife were sure nice to me that day I was there a few years ago now. I am very sorry to hear about his passing. Very nice folks indeed. Thanks for letting us know Brad. I'm sure you'll miss him a lot. Earl.

[apruizii]

I was very fortunate to have met Gene about one and a half years ago. Here's an awesome story about Gene:

He bought a couple of machines from me that I was tinkering with as a newbie and learning more about this phonograph hobby. He came to my house to pick up the first VV-IX table top and we had a very nice chat and realized we had a common friend, Brad. Gene asked me if I had replaced the gaskets on the reproducer and I responded no because I didn't know how to do that. He then offered to show me how to do that at his house. He then contacted me again about another IX I had for sale but he didn't realize it was me again. So I called him and let him know that I would take the phonograph to his home and if he could show me how to rebuild the reproducer. I went to his home on a Saturday, and it was a great experience meeting his wife and daughter, having him show me his collection, and of course passing on to me the art of rebuilding a Victor no. 2 reproducer. I remember him saying to me something like this with a smile, "okay, so you think you know how to rebuild a reproducer now, cause I'm not going to be around much longer." He was a great guy and I will truly miss him!

Adolfo

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I was asked to post a picture of Gene-- I found this one with an H&S brass horn.

Brad Abell

[Jerry B.]

Thanks for the photo. We will miss Gene.

Jerry Blais