Richard M Crooks

Richard Marius Crooks, a true force of nature, passed away peacefully at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on April 25, 2026. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sue, his children, Heather, Kimberly (Ward Calhoun) and Travis (Marisa Crooks), and his four grandchildren, Carter (19), Addie (17), Luke (15), and Mallory (15).

Born in Kingston, Jamaica on February 20, 1943 to Tamar Victoria Crooks Dunkerley and George Louis Crooks, Richard left Jamaica for the States in 1955, eventually settling in Southern Florida where he attended high school at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he boxed, completed tours in the Mediterranean, and was briefly stationed in Cuba. Richard remained enthusiastically devoted to the Marines for the remainder of his life and he often credited that organization with giving him direction and a community when he needed those things most.

Richard received his Bachelor’s Degree from Florida Atlantic University, where he studied political science and history. He met his wife, Sue, poolside, at an apartment complex in Cocoa Beach, FL where they both resided after graduating from college. He proposed to Sue after only 6 weeks of dating and they remained together until his death. A commercial realtor, Richard opened a business consulting company, which he and Sue owned and operated for more than 20 years; he continued working in this field until shortly before his death.

Richard loved history and political arguments, and he could often be found quoting Winston Churchill while challenging someone’s “problematic opinions.” A lover of music, Richard would toggle with animated adoration and respect between Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (his favorite piece of music that often brought him to tears) and Taylor Swift’s Lover Album. He adored the ocean, snorkeling and swimming, and spent his entire life living only a short driving distance to the sea. He was an avid traveler who brought his family on road trips across North America from Canada to Mexico, Vermont to Washington state and all places in between. He instilled a love of learning and adventure in each of his children, who all now regularly partake in excursions near and far with their own families. He made friends everywhere he went, and he had nicknames for every single person he knew, some of them sweet, some not so sweet, but all, like him, very very funny. He loved waterfalls, working in the yard, the mountains of North Carolina, and listening to classical music at full volume while driving too fast with the sunroof open. He bought his first Corvette well into his 70s, which he would drive wearing sunglasses and his signature, bright red, Member’s Only jacket. He was a true one of a kind, and he will be missed by his family, many friends, and all those who were lucky enough to know him. Richard (or “Poppy,” as he was lovingly known to his grandchildren), passed away at the age of 83 after a decades-long battle with cancer. He will be interred at the South Florida National Cemetery, following a visitation and funeral at the Howard Quattlebaum Funeral Home in North Palm Beach, FL.