Obituary of Robert Leo Brooks

Robert Leo Brooks, 83, of Brewer died peacefully March 31st at home, surrounded by family, after a courageous battle with cancer.  Bob was born on January 24,1940 to William Lester and Ethel (Green) Brooks  in Orono.   He grew up on Island Ave. and kept lifelong connections in the Orono area.

Bob graduated from Orono High School in 1959 and started working at Eastern Fine Paper.  There he met Gloria Robinson.  Bob was drafted in 1963 and married Gloria in 1964.  He served at Ft. Lewis in Washington State until they returned to Maine in 1965.

Bob returned to Eastern Fine and spent his career there.  He also had several business ventures with partner Larry Largay, including founding B&L Auto Parts at its original South Brewer location in 1975.  Bob and Larry continued with real estate projects over many years.

Bob took early retirement in1991 and spent the next decade brokering sales of sawlogs from loggers throughout New York and New England to sawmills in Quebec.  

Bob fully retired in 2002.   He and Gloria sold the family home on Parkway South in Brewer and moved to Little Deer Isle where they lived for the next decade, making many great friends on the island.  They sold  in 2013, returning to Brewer where they built a house on Tardiff Lane.

They also spent many winters in Deland, Florida where they still have many friends and family.

Bob had a love of old cars and machinery in general.  When in Florida, he often traveled to car shows and auctions.  He loved to wheel and deal, not necessarily to make money (though he usually did), but he loved hearing the stories and telling his own!

In addition to Gloria, his wife of 59 years, he is survived by daughters Cindy Brooks and husband Marcel Bastide of Orrington, Susan Houp and husband Richard of Brewer, son Jeffrey Brooks of Orrington, two granddaughters, McKenzie Brock and husband Jeremy of Hermon, and Lindsay Houp of Boston, as well as two special great-grandsons, “his boys”, Griffin and Pierce Brock, sisters Ruth Deshane of Old Town, June Conley of Skowhegan, Avis Cote of Veazie, Jean Wetherell of Cranford , NJ, and brother David Brooks and his wife Edith of Bangor, and many special nieces and nephews.  In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by brothers Ernest and Billy and sisters Mary, Joan, Louise and Carol.

 From his granddaughters:  “We know you were ready, but we just weren’t.  But then again, I don’t think we ever would have been.  It’s not lost on us how fortunate we were to have had our Gramp for so many years and for the boys to have known and been loved by him.  We hope Heaven is full of Pat’s Pizza pepperoni and double cheese, Coffee Pot super deluxe ham and salami, a good recliner to nap in, a huge garage to tinker in and endless Jeeps and tractors to restore.  We will love you and will miss you and honor you for the rest of our days.”

At Bob’s request, a Celebration of Life will be held on Friday April 14th at 3 pm at Jeff's Catering in Brewer.  In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Sarah’s House of Maine or a charity of your choice.