Bennett T. Brooke

He was born on January 25, 1925 in San Angelo, Texas. His parents were J. C. Brooke and Martha Bennett Brooke. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Martha Ann Brooke, brothers, Clifford Brooke, Jay Brooke, and Robert Brooke.

He married Pansy Ruth Jones in July 28, 1944 in Jefferson, Texas. Bennett and Pansy's first child, Bennett Franklin Brooke was born September 29, 1945. Their daughter Melinda Ann Brooke was born February 12, 1952. In 1953, they moved to Big Spring, Texas. They moved to Austin, Texas in 1978. While in Austin, they owned the Cat's Meow Children's Store, Ace Drug Mart-Burnet, and the Lakeway Pharmacy. In 1991, they built a home and moved to Lakeway, Texas.

He went to high school in Jefferson, Texas and was captain of the football team. After his freshman year at the University of Texas, he joined the Navy air corps and was training as a naval pilot to invade Japan when the war was over. He was a true member of the "Greatest Generation". While in the navy, he married his high school sweet heart, Pansy Ruth Jones. After WWII, he went back to pharmacy school at the University of Texas and graduated in 1949. Bennett's father (who died on his 100th birthday), Bennett's brother, and his son were pharmacists.

After UT, he practiced pharmacy in Goliad, Waco, Belton, and in 1952 he went to Big Spring, Texas where he owned Bennett's Drive-In Pharmacy. In 1978 they moved to Austin and he worked in Austin until he purchased the Ace Drug Mart Pharmacy in the 1988. In 1990 he moved to Lakeway where he purchased Lakeway Pharmacy. He was always known as the friendly pharmacist and personally took care of his patients In Big Spring, his friends joked that when traveling to Ruidoso, NM on vacation, he had to stop numerous times to ask "how is the road to Ruidoso" just to visit with people on the way.

Bennett and his wife, Pansy, enjoyed traveling in their camper and made numerous trips to New Mexico and Colorado. He loved trout fishing in Lake City, Colorado and had a smooth fly casting stroke with his fly rod. He was an avid dove, quail, and skilled deer hunter until health problems prevented him from hunting. He loved the outdoors and playing golf at Lakeway with his lifelong best friend Otis Grafa, Jr. He had many golfing friends in Lakeway, and was a member of the Lakeway Men's Golf Association.

While living in Big Spring, Texas for 28 years, Bennett was active in various church organizations in St. Mary's Episcopal Church, and helped in building St. Mary's Episcopal Church. Bennett served on the Big Spring School Board and in various other service clubs. Bennett and Pansy were members of St Luke's on the Lake Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas.

Bennett is survived by his son, Bennett Franklin Brooke of Austin and his wife Brenda G. Brooke, his daughter, Melinda Ann Brooke Witt and her husband Bill Witt of Burnet, Texas. He has three surviving grandchildren, Michele Arias, Brooke Arias, and Mark Scott Grissom. Bennett is survived by the children of his deceased brother, Robert Brooke, and his close nephew Stephen Gunn and niece Louanne Gunn Mathews.

His family and relatives wish to thank his friends, the doctors and nurses, especially, Dr. Sam Waters and his care taker, Carol Kimberly, for their care and support during his illness; and Russell Gunn, Jr, Stephen Gunn, and Louanne Gunn.

In lieu of flowers, please make any memorial contributions to St. Luke's on the Lake Episcopal Church, American Heart Society, or American Diabetes Society.

A Eucharist Funeral Service will be held on January 8th at St Luke's on the Lake Episcopal Church at 11:00 AM. Services will be conducted by the Rev. Mike Wycoff.