Saturday, March 31, 2018
It has been a rough 24 hours since I learned from Kristin that Brooks had left us so suddenly. What a special boy and man he was. Those of us who knew him at Washington Irving High School realized even then that he had his feet on a path toward a life of service to others. It's not just that he was "Trainer Gainer" to our athletes; he was kind and giving to all of us. In later years, he went on to be a doctor and a volunteer in his community, a loving father and a devoted husband. He found the love of his life in Suzanne, and her loss was devastating. Last August, I had the privilege of sitting with Brooks and Suzanne at our high school class dinner. We shared memories, laughed at our foibles and looked forward to many more reunions. How could we have known that it was our last time together? Had we known, would we have shared more? Laughed more? Taken the time to really hug each other and say what kind thoughts we had? I feel heartbroken, but I take comfort in knowing they are together in eternity and in celebrating such extraordinary lives. Let us each cherish the days left to us and say those kind words to one another when we can.
