OUR STORY
The Cooke family tradition in Belleville real estate extends back three generations to 1963. The Cooke family has been associated with Royal LePage since its first office opened in the Quinte area in 1970 under the management of Marguerite and Charles Cooke. Countless residents of the area have bought their first home or business through one of the members of the Cooke/Wiggett family, and have rewarded them with their loyalty for almost half a century. The Cooke family real estate dynasty is carried on today by siblings Matthew and Meaghan Cooke, who bring a fresh, modern approach to their business, while maintaining the same integrity and expertise that was instilled in them by their dad and beloved Cooke family patriarch, Bruce.
Marg Cooke (Grandmother & Mother of Bruce) began her real estate career in 1963, at a time when men dominated the industry. She excelled early on and became the first female manager at A.E LePage. After opening dozens of branch offices throughout eastern Ontario, she was promoted to executive senior vice president. Marg was also very active in the local community and held various positions from President of the Quinte Arts Council & President of the Parrott Foundation up until a few years before her passing in 2019.
Charles Cooke (Grandfather + Father of Bruce) joined Marg in 1971, after retiring from a 20-year stint with the federal government as an officer at Corby’s Distillery. He specialized in commercial sales and development deals. Charlie went on to become a manager at the Belleville office. He also served as president of the local Kiwanis club and a member of the Housing and Urban Development Association of Canada.
Vivian Wiggett (Grandmother on Mother's side) entered the Real Estate world in 1972. After only 3 years she ranked #2 in sales volume provincially. One of her favourite stories was finding out about this accolade, to which she famously responded, “Why didn’t you tell me I was in the running? If I’d known, I would have been #1”. Vivian felt that “integrity and absolute honesty" in helping people make decisions to buy or sell were the building materials for her career. She went on to be very successful up until she retired in the mid 80s. “Vivian was always in touch with her clients, and they appreciated that. Whether there was anything to tell them or not, she kept in touch like clockwork. Her clients were very important to her.” Vivian enjoyed playing tennis & entertaining with her “Gourmet Dinner Club” in her spare time.
John Montague Wiggett (Grandfather on Mother's side) joined his wife, Vivian, in 1975 after retiring as the Head Engineer for Bell Telephone. John found real estate exciting and fun as well as sociable and rewarding. Being a numbers gentleman, he found negotiating and investment properties right up his alley, always striving to get the best deals for his clients. John was a very active tennis & bridge player and served as Chair for the United Way in the 70s.
Nancy Wiggett (Mother) joined Belleville RLP in 1972. Nancy was administrative assistant to manager Marguerite Cooke and worked at reception during her time at the company. Her attention to detail and ability to predict the needs of others made her a very integral part of the team. Nancy enjoyed playing squash in the 80s and 90s and ranked #1 in Central Ontario for many years.
Linda Gray (Aunt) signed up with Royal LePage in 1984 and worked out of the Cobourg office before relocating to the Belleville branch. She worked primarily in the residential arena and was well trusted by her clients. Since retiring in 1996 Linda has been active in the local community and currently serves as the Vice President of the John M. & Bernice Parrott Foundation. She is also the author to many very creative and funny Children’s stories that she has written for her Grandchildren.
Suzan Morgan (Aunt) joined the Trenton RLP in the 80s and was very popular at the office due to her very pleasant personality and humour. Sue also worked with her brother Bruce in the Belleville office from the late 90s until her retirement in 2007. Sue's true gift lay in the art world and she was known as a fantastic calligrapher.
Bruce Cooke (Father) got his real estate licence in the late 70s after being the manager of Stirling’s Bank of Montreal and accountant for Foxboro Coop. He excelled very quickly and took on any “duty time” & “open house” that he could. His initial focus was on Residential but after a year moved into Commercial. During his career he earned CCIM, FRI & SIOR designations and became Regional President of Central Canadas CCIM Chapter. Locally & provincially, Bruce put together many land developments deals which now hold some of Canada's biggest retailors and Belleville’s most sought-after subdivisions. Bruce was a man known for his knowledge, professionalism, kindness, honesty and big smile.
In his younger years Bruce was a very skilled and competitive sailor and enjoyed fishing and running a farm with his wife Jane. After retirement his greatest joy laid with his vocation as “Papa” and time with family in Florida, Skootamatah Lake & The Beach House. Bruce passed away very suddenly in 2022 and is missed insurmountably.
Steve Wiggett (Uncle) joined Royal LePage in London Ontario in 1986 after graduating from Western University and is still working there today. Steve has enjoyed a long and successful career in the business and he attributes this to the relationships he has built with his clients and local business people. Steve is very innovative with technology, with a strong presence in the social media world using video while also keeping things personal with his homemade cookie deliveries at Christmas time.
Gene Gemmell (Father-in-Law of Meaghan) began his real estate career in 2000 where he specialized in selling rural properties including many farms. Prior, he had worked with the City of Belleville from 1972- 1985 and later began full time farming at his home in Stirling. Gene retired from real estate in 2011 and has continued his work on the farm and has enjoyed lots of time with family, especially his grandchildren and the great outdoors.