Patricia Brookover

Patricia Naomi Hillman Brookover passed over on January 11, 2021 due to non-Covid complications of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and bone marrow failure. Patty was born on March 15, 1949, the second of three daughters of Ernest C. Hillman, Jr. M.D. and Laura Failey Hillman. She grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey and graduated from Glen Ridge High School in 1967. She went on to earn a B.S. in Human Ecology from Cornell University in 1971, subsequently obtained a Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan in 1974, and was a Registered Dietician.

Patty leaves behind her husband, George M. Brookover of East Lansing, Michigan, daughter, Eliza F. Brookover of Haslett, Michigan, and son, Samuel A. Brookover of East Lansing, Michigan. She is also survived by her sisters Laura Buechle of Wayne, Pennsylvania, and Ellen Williams of Indianapolis, Indiana, one niece, five nephews, and three great nieces.

Patty spent her professional years in public health holding numerous positions with the State of Michigan finally retiring as Cancer Prevention and Control Section Manager at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in 2017.

Patty was noted for her cheerful, outgoing kindness, and a belief in and promotion of social equality and health equity. A member of numerous professional organizations, she was devoted to her church and her community. She was passionate about swimming and enjoyed her summers at lake cottages in Culver, Indiana and Interlochen, Michigan, and at her beloved Camp Nyoda in Oak Ridge, New Jersey. Patty was a beacon of light for all those who knew her. She made a special effort to stay in close contact with the legions of friends she met and maintained throughout her life.

Interment after cremation will be private in The Peoples Church of East Lansing Memorial Garden with a memorial gathering later this year when safe for all.

Contributions may be made to the Breslin Cancer Center at 401 W. Greenlawn, Lansing, Michigan 48910, to The Peoples Church of East Lansing at 200 W. Grand River Ave, East Lansing, Michigan 48823, or online at www.thepeopleschurch.com, to Edgewood Village at 6213 Towar Gardens Circle, East Lansing, Michigan 48823, or to your favorite charity.