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Jeffrey ‘Jeff’ Charles Brooks, 67

Jeffrey “Jeff” Charles Brooks, 67, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, passed away peacefully on April 21, 2018, at the home he shared with his mother, Jane and his brother, David. He is also survived by his sister, Cindy Erler, her husband, Bill and their children, Lucas and Maya Erler of Scottsdale, Ariz.; his sister- in-laws, Susan Brooks and son, Charles of Atlanta, Ga. and Karli Sullivan of Spokane, Wash. The remaining extended family originated from a group of men meeting as freshmen at Purdue University, where the foundation for this special brotherhood and extraordinary kinship was cemented with 45 consecutive annual October gatherings. These friends are Greg Dochl, Bradly Devolt, John Glazebrook, Mike Huffer, Patrick McAtee, Colin Smith and Tim Zook, along with their supportive wives, Suzy D., Debbi D., Karen G., Joan and Brenda M. (without whom their annual meeting wouldn’t be possible).

Jeff was born in Omaha, Neb., March 26, 1951, to William D. and Jane Anne (Rincker) Brooks. He had a happy childhood in spite of the family’s frequent moves. By the time he was eight years old, he was spending many summer days on a working ranch in the sand hills of northern Nebraska with his best friend. This enabled the development of his uncanny ability to understand and communicate with nature at a level seldom reached by others. He was a Boy Scout and reached the rank of Eagle Scout. He also raised sheep with the 4H club. Later, whilst living in Omaha, he graduated from Westside High School in the infamous “Class of ’69”, and side-stepped Vietnam by enrolling at Purdue University. He graduated with a bachelors degree from Kennesaw State in Georgia.

He was married to Roberta Wissman for approximately six years in the early ’80s and would not marry again. Upon his divorce, he sought a career change that took him from his technical manufacturing job in Indianapolis to become a marble mason during the high-rise building boom in Atlanta. He eventually became a master mason, obtaining both superintendent and project manager status.

In the year 1983, he encountered a major setback when he shattered the No. 6 and No. 7 neck vertebrae in a diving accident, requiring a reconstruction of said vertebra using a graft from his hip. His lungs had collapsed and the neurosurgeon’s initial prognosis was: “He will most likely never walk again and his entire left side would be permanently paralyzed.”

At that time it was alleged that there had been only a half dozen cases in medical history with equally severe vertebrae damage that had escaped paralysis. Thirteen days after the accident, he walked out of the hospital. It was the neck injury that would later plague him with chronic pain.

In the early 2000s, after numerous visits to his parents, he decided to ramble no longer and settle in the splendor of North Idaho, where he enjoyed the excellent outdoor experience that was the source of his enjoyment going all the way back to the nine-year-old gathering stray cattle atop a full-size quarter horse in Ainsworth, Neb.

After moving to Coeur d’Alene, he became a very active member of Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church and was instrumental in the operation and management of Fresh Start, an organization created to assist the homeless and lessen the daily burdens associated with homelessness. He continued devoting himself to the less fortunate to the very end, volunteering at Heritage Health Mobile Medical Unit, operated by TJ Byrne, Two Feathers and Dawnelle, just to name a few. He was absolutely devoted to his aging parents, having been his father’s caregiver for the four years prior to his passing, when a stroke bound him to a wheelchair. He assumed responsibility of being there for his mother until his very last day. He touched so many lives and always gave more than he was asked in return. He was universally loved by all and seldom complained about anything. We that were close to him will sorely miss him and remember him always. Rest in Peace, Jeff.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Monday April 30, 2018, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 501 E. Wallace Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Interment will follow in the church courtyard.

Yates Funeral Homes has been entrusted with the care of final arrangements. Please visit Jeff’s online memorial at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.