Ronald J. BROOKS

BROOKS, SHEEHAN, SWANSON, BASS, SMITH, HARDY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/2/2017 at 22:15:27

May 17, 1943 --- June 16, 2017

Ronald J. Brooks, 74, died Friday, June 16, 2017, at the home of his daughter in Indian Trail, NC. He leaves his wife of 53 years, Jean (Sheehan) Brooks; his daughter, Brenda (Brooks) Swanson and her husband, Jamie Swanson; his son, Kevin Brooks; his son, Stephan Brooks and his wife, Monica (Bass) Brooks; his sisters, Ellen (Brooks) Smith and Jean (Brooks) Hardy; his brother, Rich Brooks; his six grandchildren and one great grandson.

Born and raised in Belmond, IA, the son of Joe and Irene Brooks, he was a lifelong resident of Rowan, IA, transitioning to Basehor, KS in December of 2016 to spend time with his youngest grandchildren. In his early years, Ron worked on the family pony farm. It was there he developed his lifelong love of fishing. His sister Janet would take him down to the river and let him fish with a nail tied to a piece of string and no bait. Needless to say, he perfected his fishing technique in later years, supplying his family with delicious walleye, crappie, perch and northern pike, to name a few.

Ron met his wife, Jean at the roller rink, although he never did learn to skate. They were married 2 short years later and began their life together. Ron achieved his Mechanics certificate and supported his family using those skills for the rest of his life. It was a lifelong dream to own his own business and he achieved that dream when he opened J and R Repair. Ron served Rowan and the surrounding area with his skills for nearly 20 years.

Ron believed that all men are born sinners, that sinners cannot go to heaven, that God sent his Son to die on the cross and that all we have to do is confess our sins and believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ to know for sure that we will go to heaven when we die. He shared his testimony with many people through the years. Ron lived his faith. He believed that when a man gave his word, he needed to honor that commitment. He faithfully tried to keep every commitment he made. If he saw someone in need, he helped them in any way he could, expecting nothing in return. Ron loved unconditionally. That is not to say he wouldn’t let you know when you messed up, because he would, but he loved you despite your shortcomings and let you know it.

Ron loved his family. He made fun times for his kids. We would go on bike rides, walks, sledding adventures and weekend camping trips. We cooked “shore lunches” and gardened. We worked hard and we played hard. When it snowed enough to be “snowed in” with drifts on the roads, we would all pile into the Scout and “run” the drifts. When the grandkids came along, he kept the freezer filled with ice cream treats. He, also, made sure to pass on his love of fishing to his grandchildren. He loved to watch them playing ball and encouraged them to work hard to gain new skills. Ron loved classic cars and spent countless hours working on a Mustang with his son. His joy came from spending that time with his son, more than from having the car.

Anyone who knew Ron, knew he loved to tell stories. Stories of his early years blowing up birds with his brother, turning over outhouses, and many others. There were also stories of his grandchildren’s fishing escapades. Ron, also, loved his dogs. Through the years, he had many faithful friends who followed him around, went hunting with him and slept on his lap.

This man was not a perfect man. He was a humble man. He will be missed greatly by all his family but we know without a doubt that we will see him one day when we, too, reach heaven.

The funeral will be held at Elm Grove Baptist Church, 15774 Linwood Rd, Bonner Springs, KS 66012, June 24th. Visitation will be from 2-3 PM with the funeral following at 3 PM.

http://www.cedarcrestmc.com/obituaries/Ronald-J-Brooks?obId=1966416#/obituaryInfo