Blog

An inspiration to many, Brad Cooke made a tremendous impact at home and abroad as a business leader, loving family man, a caring friend and colleague, and a passionate volunteer with a heart of silver. From British Columbia to Mexico and India, his vision and influence as a professional geologist, entrepreneur and humanitarian brought benefits to the thousands of lives he touched.

Brad passed away unexpectedly on August 16, 2022 at the age of 67. Widely regarded as a 'class act' and a great person with whom to work and converse, he was a vibrant member of the mining community and will be dearly missed. Brad is survived by his former partner of 45 years, Susana, and five children, Devon, Shaun, Matt, Sasha, & Maria. 

A 'Titan' in the Mining Industry

Brad was born in the fall of 1954 in Trois Rivieres, Canada, with two brothers and one sister. He received a Bachelor of Science (Geology) degree in 1976 from Queen's University and a Master of Science (Geology) degree in 1984 from University of British Columbia.

After graduate work, he embarked on his career path in 1976, as a project geologist, managing mineral exploration programs across Canada. Later, he rose to prominence as a titan in the mining community – an accomplished geologist with a dynamic career in metals and mining that spanned nearly five decades.

Brad co-founded Endeavour Silver Corp. in 2003 and was a driving force behind its many successes, creating the strong business foundations that underpin the Company to this day. He built Endeavour from the ground up, overseeing its growth from an exploration-stage company into a mid-tier silver producer with a strong portfolio of assets, good stakeholder relationships with a sustainability mindset. He instilled a philosophy of corporate social integrity at Endeavour from the start and worked closely with local communities to contribute to their social and economic development.

Always a skilled communicator and presenter with an extraordinary capacity to connect with others, Brad led the company in a humane and caring way, much like a family, with attention to the smallest detail. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the Company from its creation through May 2021, served as Director and assumed the role of Executive Chairman, continuing to provide oversight in the company.

A visionary and active contributor in the mining community, Brad led with excellence on behalf of Endeavour Silver's employees, contractors, partners, suppliers, investors, corporate peers and community neighbours. As President of the Silver Institute, he served as an industry voice in creating public awareness of the silver industry and sat on several boards of other publicly traded companies over the years.

A Personal Passion for Sharing Life's Riches

A man of many facets and interests, Brad was much more than his professional life. He earned a reputation as an eternal optimist trying to shape the world for the greater good through constructive hard work.

Throughout his successful career, he was dedicated to promoting world peace. He collaborated on numerous humanitarian projects to make a positive difference, perhaps best exemplified by his tremendous work with the Brahmananda Saraswati Foundation. Brad was the president of this charity foundation, which was by far his largest philanthropic contribution and a life highlight for him. The foundation focused on education of young pundits to re-establish peace in the world through ancient "Vedic Knowledge." He made a pilgrimage to India annually to do volunteer service with the foundation, helping to improve the life of many people in India. Being a spiritual person and a daily meditator, these trips were also opportunities for him to engage in transcendental meditation, which brought him "pure bliss".

Brad had a zeal for adventure and loved to be outdoors, as reflected in his two main hobbies of golf and snowboarding. He was also an avid soccer fan and closely followed his favorite team, Bayern München. He always had time for a good meal. He was an enthusiastic 'foodie' and loved to try new cuisine, especially vegetarian Indian dishes.

Conversations with Brad were always lively and uplifting thanks to his charismatic personality. His intelligence, wit and sense of humour continued to entertain his legion of friends, family and associates across the world. The extraordinary tributes to Brad in the days following his passing are evidence of his endearing qualities.

Brad believed that our lives, from beginning to end, resemble a complete, full circle. This was his favourite shape, and as we honour his legacy let his circle of life inspire us.

Quotes from the Leadership Team & Close Friends

Dan Dickson
Chief Executive Officer; Director

"Brad was extremely loyal to his people. He will be sincerely missed and always remembered. I have known and worked with Brad for 15 years and I consider him my dear friend. I will always remember him for his passion, commitment and hard-working attitude. With his vibrant energy, he strove to bring out the best in those who worked with him."

Donald Gray
Chief Operating Officer

"Many of us with Endeavour knew Brad over the years, first as CEO and more recently as our Chairman, and his sudden passing is very sad news. He was always so positive and encouraging to his colleagues. He was also highly respected by those of us who had the privilege of working with him. Brad will surely be missed."

Christine West
Chief Financial Officer

"Brad lived life with a vitality that was enviable.  Not only was this evident in his unwavering commitment to Endeavour but also in his spirituality and humanitarianism.  For those of us who worked with Brad at Endeavour, he will be remembered not only for the lasting legacy that he created but for the kindness and caring he demonstrated to those around him."

Nicholas Shakesby
Vice President, Operations

"When I joined Endeavour I was fortunate in that my first 3 days were spent with Brad. I was onboarded by Brad and was immediately empowered with optimism, passion and an understanding of the company DNA. Those 3 days continue to provide me with drive and tenacity to enjoy and deliver for EDR."

Luis R Castro Valdez
Vice President, Exploration

"The Endeavour family is experiencing a very sad moment, as we all know, that without Brad, he leaves a very big gap. He was characterized by hard work, always thinking about the growth of the company, respecting moral values, and unconditionally supporting the communities involved near our mines. The legacy that he left us is a responsibility to maintain the image of the company and meet goals to sustain growth."

Dale Mah
Vice President, Corporate Development

"Brad was a mentor like no other. He always stressed the importance of geology and pushed us to be as creative as possible. His success led to countless philanthropic ventures and his generosity will never be forgotten." 

Galina Meleger
Vice President, Investor Relations

"Brad is our sweet angel – For me he is forever a trusty worthy friend, someone with who I have shared a million laughs, a prominent personality and an excellent presenter, a bold business partner, and most importantly a caring soul."

Erika Fula
Assistant to Bradford Cooke

"Brad's dedication for his work was immeasurable and his love for exploration and precious metals was contagious. Something that stood out for me, was the way Brad saw life – he was never interested in material things - He was more about living the experience, creating amazing memories, and sharing them with the people he loved."

Rex McLennan
Lead Independent Director

"Brad and I go back to the early days of Endeavour.  It didn't take long to realize that Endeavour was Captain Cooke's ship, and he would sail it with passion, confidence, and unwavering optimism.  With Brad at helm, I was proud be one of his crew and knew great things lay ahead.  His true worth shows in the legacy of good he has brought to mining communities and people he touched.  I'm not sure I have the words or eloquence to describe a visionary leader, but I think I know one when I see one, and my friend Brad was one."

Mario Szotlender
Independent Director

"I admired Brad's kindness and patience, he truly made the world a better place, one kind action at a time. He was a good friend and we miss him."

Godfrey Walton
Co-Founder of Endeavour Silver

"Brad and I worked together for 25 years at a variety of Companies.  He was a very generous person who wanted to help as many people as he could. He was passionate about geology, mining and was an eternal optimist. He was also passionate about his charitable foundation which helps fund schools in India. He will be missed significantly in the many countries that he worked."

Statement from The Brahmananda Saraswati Foundation,
Brad Cooke served as the President

"In addition to his commitment to family and career, Brad loved his practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and gave generously of his time and resources to organizations dedicated to  promoting world peace through the teaching of TM and the revival of "technologies of Consciousness" preserved in the ancient culture of "Vedic India". Brad was the President and a bright light of the Brahmananda Saraswati Foundation of Canada, a registered charity dedicated to training young Indian pundits in these special treasured approaches to bringing peace and harmony."