Sarah "Earlene" Brooks

Earlene was born on January 21, 1950 to Earl Jefferson Wilson and Gladys Moore Wilson in Las Cruces, NM, the second of five children. She was given the unique middle name of Earlene as an honor to her dad. An early sign of her individuality was her request to be called Earlene instead of her given name Sarah. Earlene graduated from Irving High School in El Paso, TX.

Those that knew Earlene from an early age recognized she was distinctive and exceptional. She did not like to follow the crowd and be like everyone else. Earlene was her own person – determined, a girly girl who would grow up loving to spend her time shopping, search for the latest hairstyles, fondness for make-up and a passion for fashion. She had endless pairs of shoes in her closet as a tribute to her devotion to fashion.

As an adult, Earlene adored disco dancing, learned sign language, loved the feel of outdoor camping, learning to ride a snow mobile, needlepoint and a deep love for all animals. She learned how to ice skate in Dallas where she won numerous awards. After moving to Charlotte, her love of skating found her spending many hours at the old Eastland Mall skating around the rink and enjoying the sound of her skates on the ice.

Earlene is survived by her husband of 54 years, Phillip A. Brooks; siblings Richard Wilson, Patricia Silvany and Jerrie Wilson; nieces Amara Jackson, Jennifer Silvany, Rebekah Heinrich, Teresa Hilton Rhyne and Nicole Elyse Rhyne; nephews Aron Wilson, Mark Wilson, Paul Wilson Rhyne, Timothy Hilton Rhyne and Matthew Thomas Rhyne and very special family friend, Janie McRae.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 28 2021 at noon at McEwen Funeral Service located at 5716 Monroe Road in Charlotte. A graveside service will start at 1pm at Sharon Memorial Park. All those in attendance must wear a mask and practice social distancing.