C. Brooks

Obituary of C. Brooks Leonard Brooks, 102, of Bushnell, Florida went to be with the Lord on August 11, 2013. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Virginia Rambo Brooks, and his precious daughter, Sarah "Sally" Brooks Harris. Leonard is survived by his two daughters, Marjorie Brooks Gatley and Johnnie Brooks Amato (Chauncey); one son, Stephen Rambo Brooks, Sr. (Gayle), and son-in-law, Wayne Harris. He also leaves seven grandchildren-Celeste Amato, Dion Amato (Jackie), Julie Stobbs (Marty), Stephen Brooks, Jr. "Bo" (Erica), David Harris (Wanda), Susan Black (Steve), and Holly Harris; and eight great grandchildren-Alec Stobbs, Cameron Brooks, Dominic Brooks, Ryu Harris, Jackson Brooks, Carter Brooks, Julianna Amato, and Brooks Black. Leonard was born in his Aunt Sarah Leonard's house April 22, 1911 in District 22 outside Greeneville, TN. He was the son of Charlie S. Brooks and Etta Ricker Brooks and the grandson of Nathaniel Ricker and Ama Bowman Ricker and Frank Brooks and Alice Leonard Brooks. He played football at East Tennessee State University where he met and married Virginia. After graduating, he held coaching and teaching positions until he was recruited to work as an operations foreman on the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge, TN. He and his fellow workers had no idea what they were developing until the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb. After the war, Leonard moved his family to Scuba, MS where he coached several sports at East Mississippi Junior College. Many of his students/players had just returned from the war and were his age. He completed his Master's Degree during the summers while he worked as a coach and principal at schools in small South Georgia towns (Blakely, Jakin, Climax). He graduated from the University of Alabama with a Master's Degree in Education. While he was coaching in South Georgia, Leonard took his girls' basketball team nine years to the state tournament. Many times these teams included his daughters. He was very proud of his daughters' talents on the basketball court. Leonard accepted a job at Climax with the understanding that Steve could attend school in Bainbridge where he could play football. He was principal of South Sumter High School from 1962 until his retirement. Thanks to the devotion and support of Dale Gray and Gayle Hunt, Leonard faithfully attended South Sumter High School football games, home and away. It did not matter if it was raining (he'd sit under an umbrella) or if the game was in Jacksonville and he didn't get home until 1 am. He wanted to be there. For many years Leonard and Virginia spent several weeks in Idaho hunting with the "Florida Boys." Leonard would roam the mountains during the day and sit by the fire at night listening to hunting tales. His real passion, however, was quail hunting. He loved walking through the woods with Wayne and Steve and with his dogs Bob and Pat. Steve would say that if Daddy took one apple, they'd be gone about five hours. But if he took a few oranges, they'd be gone all day! To Leonard, bagging quail was secondary to those times spent in the Florida woods. Steve said that Daddy could out walk him and Wayne. Leonard belonged to a few organizations. He was previously a member of the National Education Association, Florida Education Association, Sumter County Retired Teachers Association, Ducks Unlimited, and Turkeys Unlimited. Leonard Brooks has been a member of the First United Methodist Church in Bushnell since 1962. More recently he had enjoyed attending retired teachers' luncheons and many class reunions in Georgia and Florida. Visitation Family will greet friends from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Purcell Funeral Home Chapel in Bushnell, Friday August 16, 2013. Services A Celebration of his life will be held Saturday, August 17, 2013 at 11 am at the First United Methodist Church in Bushnell.

C. Brooks

April 22, 1911 - August 11, 2013