Katherine Boyd Brooks

A lifelong learner who inspired others through her warmth and intellect, Katherine Thomas Brooks, 91, of Wesley Woods Towers, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, died July 8, 2017. Visitation at A. S. Turner and Sons, 2773 N. Decatur Rd, Decatur, GA 30033, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Thursday, July 13. Graveside service Sunday, July 16, 1:30 p.m., Elmwood Cemetery and Mausoleum, Birmingham, AL, officiated by Rev. Stephen McWhorter. Preceded in death by beloved husband William D. Brooks Jr., parents Edwin and Allie Thomas, and brother Edwin Jr. Survived by her daughters Patricia and Rebecca Brooks, Gail Brooks Walter and son-in-law Dr. Warren Walter, sister-in-law Dolores Thomas, nieces Debbie Baldwin and Barbara Donahoo, much loved great nieces and nephews, and dear cousins. Katherine was especially proud to be a mother of identical twins.

Born in Birmingham, AL, on January 13, 1926, Katherine always considered 13 her lucky number. A graduate of Birmingham Southern College and UA Medical School, she was a Medical Technologist, with forensic certification, who worked in Birmingham at Lloyd Nolan Hospital and with Drs. Carey and Doris Phillips and Travis McElroy, and later in Atlanta at Doctors Hospital. Katherine was known for her keen mind, which remained strong until her end, and having a lifelong passion for reading and learning, which became a legacy she instilled in others. She had an independent spirit, and whether she was making a home for her family in Birmingham, AL, Plantation, FL, or Stone Mountain, GA, her loving, inclusive, and generous nature ensured that her house was always filled with wonderful friends and neighbors. Her encouragement, compassion, and concern for others made her an honorary mother or grandmother to many. She was well known and appreciated for her gifts of delicious, freshly baked pound cakes, often delivered to lucky recipients warm from the oven. Katherine’s life was enriched by volunteer literacy skills tutoring and her memberships in AAUW; Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, Alpha Rho Chapter; Alabama Historical Society; and Birmingham Genealogical Society. Her love of ancestry and family history motivated her to foster and maintain extended family connections, and her intellect and intuition made her a great history detective. Her interests ranged wide, from golf, Alabama football, and the Atlanta Braves to foreign languages, including learning Russian as a mid-life project. In her 80s, Katherine even returned to knitting for charitable causes. She immensely enjoyed her last years of life and many friends at Wesley Woods Towers, where she was known as a crossword champion, skilled Scrabble player, and engaging conversationalist. Katherine greatly appreciated the loving care she received in the last decade of life from wonderful caregivers at Eldercare, Trimark, and the One Group, and especially from Annie Smith Brown and Dorothy Best. For memorial gifts, please consider:

Foundation of Wesley Woods, WWT Chaplaincy Fund, 1817 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
Seeds for Seniors, Foundation for Rhodes Homes, Inc., 2801 Buford Hwy NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30329
Visiting Nurse/Hospice Atlanta, Office of Advancement, 5775 Glenridge Drive NE, Suite E200, Atlanta, GA 30328, www.VNHS.org