Mr. Robert Eugene Brooks, 94, died at 10:0B a.m. Sunday, April 12, 2009 at his new home in Nittany Orchards, Lemont.
Born August 17, 1914 in Huntingdon, he was the son of the late Louis Brooks and Edna Irene (Sheasley) Brooks. He was married to the late Marie Esther (Norris) Brooks on Oct. 15, 1939 who passed away on Jan. 2, 1995 at their winter home in Fort Myers, FL. Robert was also preceded in death by his sister Martha Rebecca (Brooks) Henderson on June 12, 1962 in Huntingdon, and by his daughter Donna Jean (Brooks) Mock Cuff on December 16, 200B in Brighton, NJ.
Surviving family members include his sister Margaret Catherine (Brooks) Wilson of Huntingdon and husband George B. Wilson; his daughter Carol Anne (Brooks) Ritchey, a registered nurse, and husband George R. Ritchey, master electrician, of Warminster, and his son Dr. Robert William Brooks, a writer and general contractor, of Lemont; grandchildren Jeffrey, James, Tad, and Aaron; great grandchildren Olivia, Owen G., Katie, Brittany, Nicholas, Michelle, Logan, Owen, and Victoria Rose.
A graduate of Huntingdon High School in 1933, he was employed by C. H. Miller Hardware Company of Huntingdon as a salesman and then purchasing agent for 25 years, and then he was owner and operator of the Janey-Lynn Motel in Bedford from 1958 until retirement in 1979. He enjoyed his retirement years playing golf and being involved in activities at the Senior Center; even in his last year, he would walk and push a cart 4 miles round trip to and from the store for groceries. He maintained his own home in Bedford up until November, 'O8 when he suffered injury from a fall. Always the active man, he was most recently collaborating with his writer-son on a closing chapter of Dr. Bob's book project entitled "Tricked: The Work and Art of Certainty in love, labor, language & Dwelling Construction," Father and son were also in the process of building an addition to the Lemont house with handicapped-accessible features; Mr. Brooks passed away just as the excavation for the foundation was under-way.
Family was received at home April 12 in private remembrance, celebration and old-fashioned goodbye with flowers, photographs and candles. Final internment will be in Bedford Cemetery.
Arrangements by Mark D. Heintzelman Funeral and Cremation Service, Centre Hall, PA. Online condolences may be expressed at www.heintzelmanfuneralhome.com.
Submitted by: (son) Robert W. Brooks P.O. Box 643, Lemont, PA 16851 814-237-2499