Mrs. Betty Hodges Brooks

Betty Hodges Brooks, 88, a resident of Beech Mountain, North Carolina and Tallahassee, Florida peacefully passed away on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, while surrounded by her family. A daughter of the late James Young Hodges and Ruth Autry Hodges, she was born on a large family farm near Statham, Georgia on November 12, 1929. Preceding her in death are her husband of 63 years, Ralph Waldo Brooks, Jr. and all five of her siblings. After high school, Betty attended Georgia State University in Atlanta for two years and worked for Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Company before meeting Ralph. They married on June 3, 1950 at Peachtree Christian Church in Atlanta. After marriage, she became a homemaker and a faithful member at First Methodist Church (Ocala, Florida) and later at Faith Presbyterian Church (Tallahassee, Florida). Ralph and Betty built two homes on Beech Mountain, North Carolina where they summered for 35 years and were members of Beech Mountain Club. Betty’s volunteer work began with her children’s schools when they were young and included being a Guardian ad Litem in Florida, church work, and with the Crossnore School and Children’s Home in North Carolina. Betty loved to play tennis and continued to play well into her 80s. Over the years, she won several tournaments, both in singles, doubles and mixed doubles (with her husband and son) in North Carolina and at the Bud Collins Tournament in Longboat Key, Florida. She was an expert bridge player as well as an accomplished gardener. Her roses were sought after by all her friends and she loved sharing her talent with flowers with her friends for many occasions. She would joke about how she had to grow something each year as she had it in her blood from growing up on a farm in rural Georgia. A superb cook, Betty rarely used a cook book but used her cooking from scratch skills learned on a farm. Her down home, Southern cooking will be badly missed. Betty and Ralph enjoyed travel after their children were grown, visiting Europe and Alaska several times. They also arranged many family vacations to both familiar places like Sea Island and new destinations like New England for white Christmases. Stories and jokes about these adventures, retold many times, continue to entertain and amuse us all. Betty was described as “gracious”; “the sweetest person known”; and a “great lady” by many friends over the years. She had a loving touch and a sense of beauty in all she did. She is survived by her children, Dr. Peggy Brooks of Asheville, North Carolina, Carolyn Brooks Coggins (Jim) of Tallahassee, Florida, D. Mayson Brooks (Rene) of Sarasota, Florida; grandchildren Allison Hartsfield (Paul), Julia Smith (Bryan), Landon Smith, Holly Brooks (Jared), Amanda Brooks (Daniel) and Tommy Brooks-Stevens; great-grandchildren Colson Hartsfield, Alana Smith, and Adley Hartsfield and her many friends in Ocala, Florida and Beech Mountain, North Carolina. She will be dearly missed by all. A private family service will be at a later date in Atlanta, Georgia. Mrs. Brooks will be laid to rest at Westview Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia, along with her husband’s ashes in the family plot. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to Faith Presbyterian Church. The family wishes to thank Big Bend Hospice. Online condolences may be expressed at www.abbeyfh.com.

Mrs. Betty Hodges Brooks

November 12, 1929 - January 17, 2018