Walter Gene Brooks

Walter Gene Brooks was born July 8, 1944 in Auburn, Alabama to Nellie Pearl and Walter Lee Brooks. He was raised by his mother, maternal-uncle Roosevelt Cooks, and grandmother Mattie Lee Cooks in Warren, Ohio. He attended Warren G. Harding High School where he enjoyed a football career that he continued at The Ohio State University. While attending OSU, he pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and met his wife of 55 years, Mackoline Mitchell. Walter (Walt) married Mackoline (Mac), in 1965, shortly after enlisting in the United States Army. The couple raised four children while Walter attended night classes at Capital University Law School. After graduating first in his class, Walter settled into a career as an attorney, initially as a consultant with Western Electric, the Civil Rights Commission and finally in private practice at Winkfield and Brooks, LPA. Walt’s first passion was music. He played the saxophone and was the lead singer in a group that was scouted by Capital Records. He whistled like a bird and could be heard any Saturday afternoon belting Motown classics while working diligently in his yard—his second passion. Walt often embarrassed his children by wearing Mac’s straw gardening hats of which he would replace a frontal flower with a large strip of duct tape. Donned in striped pants, a plaid shirt and gardening boots, spending Saturdays in the yard was his weekly stress-relief event. Every Sunday morning, Walt taught a Sunday school class at Trinity Baptist Church, of which he was a member for 50+ years. During the week, Walt was always found in his office building at 1231 E. Broad Street every day...all day. Daily, after making sure all of his kids got to school, he was planted in his office preparing his next case—religiously breaking to watch Victor Newman on The Young and Restless at 12:30, attended court and was back in the office sometimes til 2 o’clock in the morning, only to start the next day again at 6:00 waking up the kids again. And like Houdini, Walt attended nearly every basketball and football game, track meet, piano recital, dance recital, field trip, first step, first pedal, and all of the madness that comes with having four kids AND continued this same regimen with his grandchildren. Walt and Mackoline’s house was everybody’s house...literally. If you were family, at some point you probably lived on Gardendale Drive West where Walt stressed excellence, endurance, respect and leading by example in every single thing he did. His pride and joy were his wife, sisters and brother, kids and grandkids. Everyone was family to him and he treated everyone equally, never holding his tongue on how he felt about you at any time of the day. Walt was preceded in death by his mother, father, brother Stanley Lee Brooks, and most recently, the love of his life, Mackoline, who passed away March 7, 2019. He is survived by his four children, Walter Gene II (Kristin), Tiya (Augilia) Sowell, Dara (Alfie) and Eric (Artina); his sisters, Nellie Crockett and Saundra Johnson; eight grandchildren, Aaliyah (Jerick), Malaika, James, Neesah, Jhovan, Naya, Alfie and Raelene; sister-in-law Martha (James) Smith; brother-in-law McKinley Mitchell, Jr.; six great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins. Walter was a big voice in his community, in his circle of friends, and most importantly in his family. He was a man to be admired by the way he took care of his family and carried himself with extreme dignity and respect at all times. He will always be remembered and deeply missed. Arrangements for Walter G. Brooks are private due to the current public health restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic. A memorial celebration of life will be announced at a later date. We invite you to join in celebrating Walt's life by enjoying his memorial tribute video and sharing your words of reflection and/or encouragement on his virtual tribute wall.