Bob Cote,
died May 2. He was 82.
Bob Coteβs spirit is entwined into Tanque Verde Ranch β a spread of 640 acres nestled against the Rincon Mountains. The multigenerational ranch was bought by Coteβs father in 1957.
Cote, who was born in Edina, Minnesota, in 1934 and earned an economics degree in 1956, was traveling throughout Europe and Asia while pursuing a doctorate in Japan, when he returned nearly 50 years ago to operate the family ranch.
He planned on staying for only a while, but his passion for adventure and his knack for people was a gift, said his brother, Sam Cote. That gift will live on at the ranch through Bobβs family.
Bob Cote, 82, died on May 2 of cancer. He was surrounded by loved ones.
βOne of my dadβs life mottoes was to βtake advantage of opportunitiesβ, and he wasnβt prescriptive about how opportunities were defined,β said daughter Carra Cote-Ackah, 40. βHe enthusiastically encouraged us to travel the world. ... He taught us to enjoy the journey.β
βMy kids refer to Papa as βcrazyβ or βsillyβ because he made up rules in games, sang too loudly at birthdays and honked the horn for no reason,β recalled Cote-Ackah. βHe was relatable and exuberant with my kids, but also the thousands of kids who stayed at the ranch. He was everyoneβs favorite, silly Papa.β
Son Brett Cote, 43, said, βGrowing up at the ranch meant that family life and ranch life were one and the same. Guests and staff were friends and extended family. We ate our meals with the guests in the dining room and Bob was always on call when horses got out or water lines broke.β
βI remember getting paid $1.25 per hour to help repair a septic line as one of my first jobs at the age of 12, and for fun Bob would drive us around like a madman in an old beat-up mail truck with 50-gallon trash cans full of water to water yuccas, of which I think, the whole point was to get us wet rather than water anything.β
Bob gave much of his life working the ranch and helping transform the dude ranch into a resort, along with his wife, Rita Cote, who is the general manager. In addition to tourists, the ranch also is well-known for weddings and family reunions.
Among the horses and trails are cowboy singers and talks on American Indian history, along with indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpools, sauna, massage therapy, tennis courts and a nature center.
Bob also found joy in leased acres of trails in Saguaro National Park East where families could enjoy hiking and mountain biking.
Family memories include Bob βflipping blueberry pancakes at the morning breakfast ride, greeting guests and friends in the Dog House Saloon, or dining at cowboy cookoutsβ alongside his wife. The two were a team.
In a 2009 Arizona Daily Star article, Bob Cote talks about the rich and famous occasionally showing up at the ranch, just as they did in the old days. βDiane Keaton came here driving up in a little pickup with two kids,β he said. βAnd Paul and Linda McCartney were guests here.β
βEuropeans like it in the summer. They are looking for the sun,β Bob Cote said. Adds Rita: βWe have rules and menus in German, Italian and French, and Bob speaks fluent French.β
In 2005, he was recognized with the State of Arizonaβs Hall of Fame for Tourism, which marked the first guest ranch inductee, said a family statement. And in 2012, Bob was inducted into Dude Ranchers Hall of Fame by the Dude Ranchers Association.
βHis aspiration for people visiting the ranch was to leave with a love and appreciation of horses and the Sonoran Desert,β according to family. βBobβs dedication to hospitality and his guests earned him friends across the world.β
In addition to his wife, Bob Cote is survived by four children, four grandchildren, three brothers and many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of his life will be held June 24 at Tanque Verde Ranch from 2 to 5 p.m. Donations in his memory may be made to Tucson Medical Centerβs Hospice Peppiβs House, Amity Foundation and Friends of Saguaro National Park.
