Herbert Thomas Brooks Jr.

Herbert Thomas “Tom” Brooks Jr. 84, of Collierville passed away October 31, 2012 following a short illness. Tom was a dedicated businessman and elected official of his adopted hometown Collierville, where he served in community leadership roles for more than 50 years. He was born in San Marino, CA, and he and his beloved wife, the late Kelsey Jones Brooks, met while attending University of Tennessee at Knoxville and they married in 1951. Tom graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, in 1951 and from the College of Pharmacy in 1953. Tom owned Brooks’ Pharmacy on the historic town square for many years and he later purchased Walgreen’s and Super D franchises before retiring in 1997. He was a founder of The Collierville Coffee Club, which met in his pharmacy for over 50 years and which still continues to meet at 8 a.m. each weekday. The group of devoted male friends recently celebrated Tom’s 84th birthday with coffee and cake. Tom was a commissioner and elected official of Collierville from 1959-1999. The leadership and vision of Tom and of his close friend, Herman Wright Cox, helped Collierville evolve from a town of 1,200 to that of more than 47,000 today. His influence also helped shape the development of area schools while serving as a member of the Shelby County Board of Education for eight years. In 1980, he was a founding member of Collierville Savings & Loan, now BankTennessee. He also served on and chaired the Shelby County Tax Equalization Board for 20 years and subsequently served on the Tennessee Board of Equalization. Tom was a member of the Collierville Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He is a long time member of the Collierville United Methodist Church, where he served on numerous committees. Tom was a recognized and involved volunteer with many civic and professional organizations, and he was the recipient of numerous honors, including the C.H. Harrell Award for Education that he received in 2000 and the Collierville Person of the Year award that he received from the Collierville Chamber of Commerce in 2002. In 2009, the Town of Collierville dedicated the newly established “Tom Brooks Park”, which is located near the town square. Tom is survived by daughter, Watty Brooks Hall; son-in-law, Chris Hall; sister, Nancy Brooks Bowman; niece, Betsy Bowman Dugger, and nephews, Charles and Brooks Bowman. His daughter, Amy Franklin Brooks passed away in 2000. His passing brings much sorrow, but his remaining family and loved ones take comfort in knowing he is smiling and rejoicing with departed loved ones, Kelsey and Amy. Visitation is Sunday, November 4, 5-8 p.m. at Sanctuary on the Square in Collierville. Funeral services will be 11 a.m., Monday at Collierville United Methodist Church, 454 West Poplar Avenue. Memphis Funeral Home-Collierville is in charge. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Kelsey and Tom Brooks Endowment Fund for Regenerative Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville FL 32224, Attn: Kristi Naines, or to the Collierville United Methodist Church, 454 West Poplar, Collierville, TN 38017.

Collierville Funeral Home

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