The Reverend George Brooks—who combined activism in social justice and mental health with expertise in physics and astronomy and wove it all together into a career of 40 years in parish ministry—died peacefully on 18 June 2018, aged 95.

George Gordon Brooks was born on 14 December 1922 in Pleasantville, New York. to Leonard and Irene Huggins Brooks. He earned a B.A. in physics from Amherst College, MA, in 1944, an M.S. in astronomy from Mass. Inst. of Technology, MA, in 1947, and an S.T.B. from Harvard Divinity School in 1951.

After serving a student ministry at the UU Church of Danvers, MA, Mr. Brooks was ordained there on 24 June 1951. He was then settled successively at the Second Parish Unitarian Church in Saco, ME (1954–57), the Adams Memorial Unitarian Church in Dunkirk, NY (1957–61), the Lexington (KY) Unitarian Church, and in a half-time position at the UU Fellowship of Burlington, IA (1963–68).

An academic opportunity then lured him away to teach physics and astronomy at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, OH, while serving weekend ministries at two nearby congregations. He closed out his parish career with interim ministries in Chattanooga, TN, and Columbia, MO, and finally a two-year settlement at the UU Fellowship in Port Charlotte, FL, which later honored him as their minister emeritus.

Beyond the parish, Mr. Brooks took active leadership roles in a variety of district UU chapters and local community organizations, especially in the American Civil Liberties Union and in local support of human rights and mental health services.

At the time of his death, George Brooks was survived by nieces Miriam E. Coe, Katherine L. Randall, Julie Fix Graves, and Karen Fix Graves, nephews Edmund A. Jones, Carlton Parker Jones, and Leonard Brooks III, and several grand nieces, a grandnephew and a great nephew.

A memorial service was held on 2 December 2018 at the UU Fellowship of Charlotte County, FL.