Marilyn Jean Brooks

Marilyn Brooks of McGregor, Texas, passed away on June 2nd, surrounded by her loving family.

The funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, June 8, 2024, at St. Peter's Catholic Center at Baylor University, with a reception immediately following the service at the Brooks home in honor of Marilyn's life and legacy.

Born April 19, 1948, in St. Louis, MO, Marilyn was the middle of three daughters. From a young age, she was a responsible caretaker who prioritized her family, a trait that remained constant throughout her life. While attending Santa Clara University, she met Dennis, the love of her life, on a blind date. Despite Dennis missing his two front teeth due to a football incident, they were married shortly thereafter on December 28, 1968. They quickly started a family and lived in 13 different cities before settling in McGregor, TX, in 2005, in a home they designed and built together.

Intelligent, creative, and hardworking, Marilyn skillfully balanced her career with motherhood. Together with Dennis, she successfully built and grew Volvo and Mack Trucks of Waco alongside two of their children. In recent years, Marilyn and Dennis traveled extensively, exploring destinations around the world, including Machu Picchu and Antarctica. Marilyn found the most joy in spending time with her three children and their families. She delighted in attending sporting events, spending hours playing board and card games with her grandchildren, especially Yahtzee, celebrating special occasions, and planning annual family gatherings, including a memorable trip to Scottsdale, AZ, in December 2018 for her 50th wedding anniversary.

Marilyn will always be remembered by her friends and family for her exemplary qualities: perseverance in difficult times, hard work, fierce loyalty, kindness, generosity, fairness, ability to think ten steps ahead, and a deep belief in philanthropy. She was a gracious hostess, had excellent taste in design and fashion, a quick wit, and a zeal for celebrating life’s moments, both big and small (complete with elaborate decorations, good food, and plenty of wine). She taught by example, demonstrating the importance of always showing up, which she did consistently as a wife, mom, grandmother, sister, and friend.

Marilyn was the beloved wife of over 55 years of Dennis G. Brooks and a devoted mother to Robert W. Brooks and his wife Casey of Waco, TX, Margaret A. Salome of Waco, TX, Melissa A. Rowe and her husband Matt of Dover, MA, and her cherished daughter, Carolyn M. Brooks. She was a treasured daughter of the late William and Marian Brown and a supportive sister to Kathy Tyrer, as well as the late Sue Hughes. Known affectionately as Tickie, Marilyn was a proud, hands-on grandmother to Lilly, Ava, and Robert Brooks, Stella Swanson, Thomas (Cinco), and Sam Salome, and Will, Luke, and Ben Rowe.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to an organization close to Marilyn's heart, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate.

We invite you to leave a message or memory of Marilyn on her "Tribute Wall" at www.WHBfamily.com.