2019 Senior Citizen of the Year Winner Announced

Lansing, Mich. Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Cancer Center Volunteer from St. Joseph Receives $1,000 from Consumers Energy

Consumers Energy is highlighting the achievements of this year’s Senior Citizen of the Year, a cancer center volunteer who supports patients, family members, visitors and nursing staff.

St. Joseph resident Bob Cooley, 76, accepted the award May 15 on the Capitol lawn during Older Michiganians Day celebrations, which Consumers Energy co-sponsors. The award from the State of Michigan – Aging and Adult Services Agency, and the Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging includes a letter of congratulations from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and a $1,000 check from Consumers Energy.

“Bob’s tireless generosity, kindness and positive spirit are an inspiration to all generations for giving time and talent to make the world better by helping others,” said Greg Moore, Consumers Energy’s community affairs manager, who presented the check on behalf of the energy provider. “It’s truly an honor to offer a heartfelt thank you and give something back to a compassionate individual who has done so much to support his community.”

When Spectrum Health, Lakeland sought volunteers to assist nursing staff and greet patients at the information desk in the infusion clinic of the newly-built Marie Yeager Cancer Center, Cooley – a Lucent Technologies retiree -- became one of their first volunteers. He has been at the center since it opened in 2011, volunteering three shifts a week plus often filling in for other volunteers as a substitute.

Despite the sometimes heart-wrenching nature of working with patients who may lose their battles to disease, Cooley does not shy away from getting to personally know the patients. He always has a warm smile and is a comforting listener for those he provides refreshments and blankets to at the center, as well as for the patient’s family members and other visitors.

For years, Cooley and his wife opened their home to the public to view an elaborate Christmas village display, where they had a Toys for Tots collection box.  Now, he sets up a Christmas village and other holiday displays at the center.

Cooley also volunteers to serve meals at a soup kitchen, help the local Lions Club set up a yearly car show, support a women’s shelter, mow at public parks, and provide a unique service for several Berrien County area cemeteries. He has researched and created directories to help family members find deceased loved ones’ burial locations.

Cooley was nominated for the statewide award by the volunteer coordinator at Spectrum Health, Lakeland.

Consumers Energy is an Older Michiganians Day co-sponsor and a Senior Citizen of the Year award partner. Businesses, community service and faith-based organizations, associations, fraternal organizations and other public and private entities can make nominations for the Senior Citizen of the Year. Individuals 60 or older are eligible for nomination for uncompensated work performed in the community.

Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

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Media Contacts: Terry DeDoes, 517-374-2159, or Roger Morgenstern, 616-530-4364