Charles David Brooks Sr.

Charles David Brooks, Sr., age 87, of Hermitage, Tennessee passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 20, 2025, surrounded by family. Charles was born on Thursday, December 2, 1937, in Nashville, Tennessee to the late Frances Brooks and Jesse Brooks. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Dorothy Ann Vaughn, his brothers Jess Brooks, Jim Brooks and Donnie Brooks and his son-in-law Kirk Adkisson and granddaughter Sara Elizabeth Adkisson.

Charles is survived by the love of his life of 67 years, Bonnie Brooks of Hermitage, Tennessee, brother Joel (Pam) Brooks, daughters Deb Adkisson and Cindi Brooks, and son Charlie (Kate) Brooks. His three grandchildren, David (Brittney) Brooks, Shelbye (William) Lynn and Jeff (Caitlyn) Brooks, and ten great grandchildren.

Charles and Bonnie met in Syracuse, New York at a USO Service Club while he was stationed at Hancock Field Air Force Base and married six months later, on November 27, 1958. Charles was an Air Traffic Controller with proficiency and experience as an Intercept Director Technician in SAGE Operations, a defense network protecting the United States during the cold war. Charles and Bonnie moved to Nashville, Tennessee with their three children after he was honorably discharged in December 1964.

Charles owned two businesses, Seafaring Upholstery and Charles Brooks, Inc. He retired from Gibson Houseboats where he generated Operation and Maintenance manuals along with technical support and design layout for houseboats.

A devoted follower of Jesus Christ, Charles was a faithful member of the First Church of the Nazarene where he served as a greeter and president of his Sunday School class. Charles felt a call to minister to the homeless. He volunteered at First Church’s Hope Ministry, the Nashville Food Pantry, and later at the Madison Church of Christ Benevolence Center where he prayed individually with those who came to the Center. He was known for his kindness, generosity, and unwavering faith in God.

Charles loved his family and diligently prayed for them daily. He enjoyed playing cards and reading. Charles was a gifted artist, carving duck decoys, creating dioramas, sculpting hobbit houses, and gnomes. He was always thinking of new things to create.

Most of all he loved Jesus and was a beautiful testimony of God’s grace and loving kindness and is now at peace in the presence of his Savior.

A visitation will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025, at the First Church of the Nazarene at 510 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM followed by a celebration of life at 12:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly request donations be made to the 510Foundation.org and reference Emmaus, a ministry of First Church, in Charles’s memory.