Obituary of Helen Catherine Brooks

Helen Catherine Brooks was born to the union of Susie Graves-Bonner and Edward Bonner on October 15,1934 in Petersburg, VA. She attended school in Petersburg, VA. and graduated from Peabody High School. She graduated from Virginia State University earning a Bachelor of Science in Education and later earned a Master of Science degree from Morgan State University. With a broad and diverse educational background, she taught in Virginia, Connecticut, California and Maryland. She was introduced to Walter "Jackie" Brooks by her brother Junior. This union was solidified and consisted of 28 years of matrimony. From this marriage came 4 children: Kathy, Walter, George and Jonathan. Helen was an educator in the Baltimore City School System until her retirement. She attended Friendship Baptist Church and faithfully participated in Vacation Bible School, Golden Agers Ministry and fellowshipped at a local nursing home. She loved to travel, often doing so with the Golden Agers and her family. She especially cherished her travels to Paris and South America. She was baptized on one of her trips in the Jordan River. Helen was actively involved in social justice and civil rights and played a vital role in establishing the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) with her husband. Her favorite pastime was sewing. She was a talented seamstress with a keen eye for detail. This was reflected in the creation of her wedding gown that she created. During her golden years, she enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents Edward and Susie Graves-Bonner, siblings Naomi Thorton, Edward "Junior" Bonner and Alease Tatum and former husband Walter "Jackie" Brooks. She leaves her children to cherish her memories, Kathy (Lenard) Foust, Walter Brooks, George (Stephanie) Brooks and Jonathan (Pernell) Brooks. Her grandchildren Ameerah (Derek), Daniel, Nathan, Akilah (Brandon), Aminah, Trinity and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.