Dorothy Johnson Brooks, 97, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2015.
She is survived by her son, Ralph (Mary) Brooks of Chicago, Ill.; daughter Deborah (William) MacLachlan of East Orleans, Mass.; four grandchildren who, thanks to the annual family reunions that she initiated, are now close friends despite living literally all across the country; and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Ralph, in 2013.
Brooks and her husband had been residents of Vero Beach for 30 years, retiring there from Farmington, Conn. Born and raised in Syracuse, N.Y., Brooks enjoyed an idyllic childhood in central New York and married her childhood sweetheart, Ralph Brooks.
Ralph’s career took them to Bloomfield, N.J., Albany, N.Y. and Hartford, Conn., where she was quick to make friends with her outgoing personality. Becoming a Welcome Wagon hostess seemed a natural evolution. Her passions were golf, music and bridge, and she was active in church choirs and Sweet Adelines for many years.
In Vero Beach, Brooks was a member of Bent Pine Golf Club, the Community Church of Vero Beach and the Indian River Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
A memorial service will be held at Indian River Estates in Vero Beach at a later date. Condolences may be made at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com. Memorial contributions may be sent to P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011, or online at www.alz.org.
