Brooks L Haley

Brooks was born on May 16, 1949 and he was a proud third generation Dallasite. His great grandfather, Dr. William Bradford Brooks, had the first hospital in Dallas and the family lived upstairs back when Ervay St. was a dirt road. Brooks said it would burn his grandmother’s feet when she’d run over to what is now Old City Park. That grandmother, May Ballard Brooks, died in 1980 and is buried at Grove Hill, as are his parents, Emmett and Lillian O’Hara Haley. Brooks’ great-grandmother, Cyrenia, who was born in 1836 is buried at Grove Hill as well.

Brooks grew up near Marsh Lane and he joked that he lived and died within one mile of Marsh Lane and yet somehow was a guy who loved to travel. Brooks graduated in 1967 from Thomas Jefferson High School and happily spent his summers in Livingston, TX with his cousins, including one summer with his cousin, Gretchen and her family in Mexico, on an avocado farm where he drove as a 15 year old and flew in crop dusters.

As a freshman at the University of North Texas in Denton, his Dad Emmett’s response to “can I go to Europe?” was, “Yes, if you can support yourself.” Brooks researched (no google!) and found he could work at an International Farm Camp in Tiptree, England and earn enough for room and board plus pub money. For the next three summers he worked on the strawberry farm, making jam for the queen of england (literally!) while traveling most weekends on free passes. Brooks’ dad Emmett was a Braniff pilot and Al Italia was Braniff’s European partner. So, Brooks went everywhere they flew, and often. He would say that he could smell the food upon entering the plane and know what they were serving - unsurprising as Brooks always wanted to know where his next meal was coming from.

Brooks made life-long friends at Tiptree with relationships continuing today. Every few years Brooks and family would travel to see Triptree friends in Sweden or friends would come to visit, or they’d pick a midpoint like England or New Hampshire. The connections were extensive: Once when some Tiptree friends were visiting, the phone rang and it was another Tiptree couple unexpectedly in town. Brooks’ mantra was supporting yourself while traveling, and he took the family to Scandinavia to visit friends from Tiptree, where Travis celebrated his second birthday at the Arctic Circle.

While at UNT Brooks made life-long friends, (Steve Overby and Mel Hays, among others). Always the entrepreneur and looking for his next meal, he lived at the College Inn and became a counselor which afforded him a private room and free food.

Upon graduating with a business degree he went to work in the air freight industry, ultimately settling in Atlanta with Surf Air. While there he started talking to the night manager, Sandy, in Detroit, Michigan on what was called “the WATTS line” which… importantly… had free long distance. After long overnight conversations Brooks decided to take a trip to Detroit to meet Sandy, but hedging his bets and always the planner, he arranged a trip to Europe and through Detroit’s airport, just in case he didn’t care for her. It turns out, he did! Brooks and Sandy spent the next 49 years together and they would have celebrated their 47th anniversary this month.

Brooks and Sandy lived in Atlanta working in air freight until moving to Dallas, then working in the motor freight industry. During this time Brooks started in real estate, purchasing a duplex (at 17% interest rates!) where his son, Travis, was born in 1980. Budget traveling plus working for himself was Brooks’ mantra. To facilitate that he entered the real estate business, buying, sometimes selling, and holding properties while being his own property manager, because Brooks said, “that cost will nickel-and-dime you right out of business.” In 1980, Brooks realized he worked best and hardest for himself and with a new baby he valiantly struck out on his own. When the real estate market collapsed Brooks became an appraiser, holding that license until 2020.

In 1982, the family moved to Sparkman where he made great friends and enjoyed some time near his sister Lou, husband Joe, and nephews Eric and Aaron, whom Brooks cared for deeply. Brooks contributed to the neighborhood community, and enjoyed the neighborhood community, celebrating Fourth of Julys and creative float building. Brooks served the community, including a term as president of the board. During this time he also served on the board of the boating club at Lake Dallas where Brooks had a motorboat. Many memories were made at the lake, water skiing, and at the cabin on Cedar Pine Lane.

A huge source of joy in Brooks’ life has always been music, particularly live music. Little known fact: Brooks could play the harmonica and would carry it around in his front shirt pocket in case an impromptu rendition was called for. From pub singing in the British Isles to Kerrville Folk Festival, from small bands in obscure places to big concerts like Chicago, to Preservation Hall Band in New Orleans. Brooks loved seeing musicians around town, including Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse and the Tipperary Inn.

In 2013, after searching for several years, Brooks and Sandy moved to Addison to a home where he said he could “age in place.” Once again, Brooks supported the neighborhood, graduating from the Citizen’s Academy, serving on numerous boards and committees, and commissioning an airplane sculpture overlooking Addison Airport in memory of his father, a WWII bomber pilot who is buried at Grove Hill as well.

The great loves of his life, his wonderful grandchildren, Piper, Dax and Betty brought him endless joy and Brooks considered himself a “Pops of four” including Remy (Christiaan and Jen’s daughter). Pops, as he is known to the kids, said after his first heart attack that he wanted to make it long enough to “meet a grandkid.” Turns out he got to meet them all!

A memorial service will be hled at GRove hill memorial park on November 19,2022 at 1:30pm

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Grove-Hill.com for the Haley family.