07/04/1950 - 06/11/2021
Charles "Chuck" Brooks was born on the Fourth of July, 1950, in Lincoln, NE, to Fred and Margaret (Blomenkamp) Brooks. He passed away peacefully, June 11, 2021, surrounded by his family, in Lincoln, NE.
Chuck grew up in Council Bluffs, IA, and attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He was an Eagle Scout and actively involved in the Rifle Team. On April 12, 1971, he married Glynna "Nikki" Widner. He graduated from Creighton University in 1972, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. Chuck served as a Lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps. After his military service, Chuck took criminal justice courses at Kearney State College and served three years with the Seward Police Department. Chuck had described his initial involvement with law enforcement as "a fluke," stating that a friend had asked him to join him in taking the officer test. Chuck thought the opportunity was "better than what I was doing," as a maintenance worker. He took the test, and got the job... his friend did not!
After serving in Seward, Chuck and his family moved to Columbus, NE. Upon arriving, his first three years included the walking beat downtown, which ended after he was promoted to Sergeant October 6, 1986. He also served as a Police Explorer Leader and became a certified D.A.R.E. instructor in 1990, becoming a mentor for the statewide D.A.R.E. program. During his time with the city, Chuck also served as one of the department firearm instructors and was deeply involved in the development of the new range. He participated in and won several gold medals at the World Police & Fire Games in New York City, in August, 2010. After 27 years, Chuck retired from the Columbus Police Department, in 2010.
Chuck was very involved with the community throughout his life. He enjoyed his time with family and friends through coaching AYSO Soccer, participating in the Columbus Rifle Club, and ran youth rifle camps. Chuck was also a member of the Spring Creek Saddle Club.
In 2012, Chuck and Nikki retired to a cabin they built themselves, on Grand Lake in Oklahoma.
He enjoyed his days camping, fishing, ATV-ing, riding horses, playing games with family, and creating his metal art.
Chuck is preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Nikki; children, Shelley (Terry) Nelson, of Lincoln, NE, Charles Brooks, of Dwight, NE, and Misty (Rob) Krasawski, of Franklin, TN; brothers, Fred Brooks, of Lincoln, NE, and John (Sheryl) Brooks, of Kansas City, KS; grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and his nephew.
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, June 18, 2021, 2:00pm, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home. 6800 S. 14th St, Lincoln, NE. In light of the color black representing melanoma, the family requests that attendees please avoid black clothing, and come in colorful dress-casual. For those unable to attend, you may join the family virtually by clicking the livestream link below at the start of the service. A Reception will follow at the Highlands Golf Course. 5501 NW 12th St, Lincoln, NE.
The family would like to give a very special thank you to CHI Health at Home Hospice, and Crystal Andersen, RN, for their support and care, and thank you for helping us make his journey a little easier.
Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation.
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