Bill Eugene Brooks

Billy Eugene Brooks passed away Friday, November 15th at home, with his wife of nearly 67 years by his side. Bill was born west of Shawnee to Lawrence Edward and Freeda Fern (Monroe) Brooks on August 17th, 1936. His parents were farmers, and they lived in a rented house with no electricity until he was about 8 years old. At that time, they moved to a home on the Lake Road by the old Arco pump station, where he would spend the remainder of his childhood. Bill started school at Valley Grove Elementary and skipped two grades because he was the only student in those grades. He transferred to Bethel Schools in the 6th grade and graduated from Bethel High School in 1952 at the age of 15.

The following summer while still farming with his father in the Bethel area, he began dating his future wife, Caroly Barton at the age of 16. In the Fall of 1954, Bill and Carolyn both started college at Oklahoma A&M. Their senior year, Bill and Carolyn were married on December 21st, 1957, at Blackburn Baptist Church in Bethel. They both graduated in May of 1958, Bill with a degree in Petroleum Geology. Both were members of the first graduating class of the newly named Oklahoma State University.

Bill began married life and his professional career in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. He worked as an exploration geologist all over Mexico; southwest and east Texas; southeast New Mexico, and much of Oklahoma. He was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists for over 60 years. His last job was working for the city of Bethel as the oil and gas inspector; often checking wells on land he and his father had farmed more than six decades earlier. He retired from this job on his 80th birthday.

In their empty-nest years, Bill and Carolyn purchased their second RV. Over the next 25 years, they traveled to 49 states, including their longest trip of over 70 days into Canada and Alaska.

Bill was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and several RV clubs.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, an older brother, Eldon Wayne Brooks, his father and mother-in-law, W.A. and Dortha Barton, and brother-in-law John Inda.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn (Barton) Brooks of the home, son and daughter-in-law, Stephen and Susan (Howard) Brooks of Shawnee, daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Robert Neal of Frisco, TX; grandchildren; Dillon and wife Josie Hayden of Moore, Hannah and husband Robb Lynam of Macomb, Nathan and wife Faith Neal of Houston, TX, Victoria Neal of Alexandria, VA, and Elizabeth Neal of Waco, TX; sister-in-law Phyllis Inda of Shawnee, and Bill’s only great-grandchild, Hawthorn Hayden of Moore, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Cremation and private family services are planned. The family requests that any donations be made to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (omrf.org).