Two of real estate’s finest

Barbara Cook and Lucy Barnes, two of El Dorado County’s most beloved real estate professionals, died earlier this year.

Cook wanted to honor her industry’s hardest-working while also serving the community, planting the seed for the El Dorado County Association of Realtors Top Achievers Club. She got the idea — then called the Million Dollar Club and comprised of top-selling agents — from a Sacramento area Realtor association.

With the help of fellow Realtor Sue Cox, Cook took Sacramento’s Million Dollar Club concept and evolved it into the EDCAR’s Top Achievers Club. Realtors accepted to the Top Achievers Club are recognized as the best in the industry — but with an added bonus for local students as a scholarship fund is generated from that success.

The Top Achievers Club was formed in 1975 and since then has handed out hundreds of scholarships to local high school graduates.

After working as a clerk to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors for 11 years, Cook decided to enter the real estate industry in 1968.

Cook established the original branch office for Kiernan Realtors in Cameron Park in 1975 that grew to some 250-agents strong and in 1982 was a partner in founding her own real estate business, Cook & Cook Realtors.

Lucy Barnes

Barnes was a real estate agent in Placerville for more than 30 years, starting with Wentz Realty.

She and her husband Bob Barnes became partners of American Heritage Real Estate with their dear friends Ron and Jan Murphy. She loved her job and all the friends she made during her career.

Lucy is remembered for being kind, caring and thoughtful — and also for the pies she would make for EDCAR fundraising. She always baked pecan pies for CanTree Charities and there were always bidding wars to be the lucky winner of one of Lucy’s pies.

A dedicated Realtor, Lucy made an effort even when it was difficult for her to attend the EDCAR Diamond Springs tour meetings.