Robert (Bob) Eldon Brooks, 73, was called home to his Lord and Savior on October 19, 2020, with his loving son and daughter by his side in Boise, Idaho.

Robert was born on January 5, 1947, to Cecil and Eula Brooks in Windsor, Missouri. He was the second of four children. His siblings were Richard, Anita, and the youngest, Ronald. Robert came from a very hard-working family. His dad Cecil was a veteran of WWII and worked for Lake City Ammunition as well as a general contractor in Kansas City, Missouri. His mother Eula ran the family’s grocery store and bar and was also a homemaker. Robert was so particular that she ironed his clothes every day, even his jeans (like he was going to be on the cover of GQ magazine). A story he so lovingly told was that he learned how to walk in the bar his parents owned by holding onto the Juke Box. Their family was close and tight-knit.

In his younger years, he and his siblings had a lot of fun together. They spent their Friday nights collecting bait for fishing and then all weekend would set trout and bait lines with their dad. They loved to hunt deer together and swim in the pond and lake. He hung around his older brother Richard quite a bit, even hiding in Richard’s car when he was skipping school until Richard came out and kicked made him go back to school because Richard was skipping school instead! Richard also tells a story of him riding his Kushman motorcycle from their house in the country all around town at the age of 12 or 13 until the cops locked both Robert and his motorcycle up and Richard had to bail them both out.

His personality was funny and mischievous. He loved old cars. His first vehicle was a 1954 Ford. He also had a 1958 Chevy Impala that he adored. In high school, he worked bailing hay and also at the sawmill with his dad. Robert graduated from Windsor High School in 1965 and was drafted by the U.S. Army into the Vietnam War in 1966. He was part of the 196th infantry. During his tour, he sent a note home to his mom and daddy on a piece of the box of ammunition from Lake City Ammunition where his father worked with a note that said, “Keep em’ comin’ pops!” After the Vietnam War, Robert re-enlisted in the U.S. Army the same day as his younger brother Ronald enlisted. It is believed that the Army didn’t even realize they were related. At one point Robert, Ronnie, and Anita’s husband were all three stationed at Kileen, Texas, at the same time.

Robert married Sue E. Taylor on July 12, 1969. It was so hot and humid that day that their cake literally melted, and the power went out, so they were married by flashlight. Out of that union, they had two beautiful children who were Robert’s pride and joy until the very end of his life. His son Jason Andrew (Andy) Brooks was born August 24, 1973. in Kileen, Texas. His daughter Kristin Lynelle Brooks (White) was born December 7, 1982, in LaGrande, Oregon, where he was stationed as a recruiter in the U.S. Army.

Robert’s military career was impeccable, and his achievements were abundant. He served the United States Military with the most highest honor and respect. He was more than proud to be a U.S. soldier, and it showed until the very end, when he would show all his nurses and doctors his U.S. military ID card. He retired with honors from the U.S. Army after 26 years of service in 1992.

Aside from his career in the military, he was a skilled carpenter. He was a sub-contractor for Oakwood Homes out of Boise, Idaho, for many years. In his later years, he was sort of a gypsy (as his family jokes about). He would bounce back between his home state of Missouri, where his siblings live, and back to Boise, Idaho, where his children live with their families. He gained a daughter-in-law in 1997 when Andy married Lisa. He also gained two granddaughters, Rachel (18) and Erica (13). In August of 2020, we were honored for him to attend his daughter Kristin’s wedding to his son-in-law Emanuel with his four granddaughters, Addison (12), Marlie (5), Alexis (17) and Desiree (12). His kids, granddaughters and siblings were his whole entire world. He enjoyed fishing with them, making live edge benches, remodeling homes, playing cards (such as Hand and Foot and Pay Me), watching football (especially with his son - go Packers, Chiefs and Seahawks!), telling stories, going out to eat, etc. Robert loved McDonald’s coffee and Jack-in-the-Box breakfast sandwiches. His kids joke that he used to drive to each one in the morning because Jack-in-the-Box coffee “wasn’t fit to drink!” His granddaughters remember him always bringing donuts and Jack-in-the-Box cheeseburgers.

He spent a lot of time recently in Missouri with his siblings. Robert was the most selfless man his family has ever met. He didn’t have much, but what he did have, he didn’t keep. He would give anyone - no matter if he knew them or not - the shirt off his back. Often, he took people into his home that had no place to live. One time his daughter remembers him giving his watch and all the cash he had on him to a homeless man at a rest area he met that was also a Vietnam veteran and down on his luck. His son Andy remembers Robert giving a man his coat and all the cash he had because it was cold outside and the man didn’t have a coat. His heart was bigger than the world. He never asked for anything, and at times it would irritate his kids that he wouldn’t allow them to take care of him as his health declined, but that is how he was. “Don’t worry about me, worry about your girls.” he would say. He was fiercely proud of his family. His spirit was contagious, and his heart was pure. There are not nearly enough words to express the lasting impression his life had on his family and his friends, and there are not nearly enough words to express how his passing will affect us all for many years to come.

Robert is survived by his children Andy and Kristin and their spouses and 6 granddaughters. He is also survived by his brother Richard and his wife Kaye Brooks, sister Anita and her husband Chuck Marriott, and brother Ronald and his wife Ada Maureen. He is also survived by countless cousins, nieces and nephews. Robert is preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Eula Brooks.

Services to honor Robert’s life will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2020, 1:00 p.m., at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, 10100 Horseshoe Bend Rd., Boise, Idaho 83714. The cemetery requires social distancing and the wearing of a mask.