Marjorie Brooks
May 26, 1924 ~ July 26, 2025
Born in Uncasville to William C. and Edith M. (Norbury) Vallett, Marjorie attended Uncasville Grammar School and graduated Norwich Free Academy in 1942. Her first job was as a sales clerk at Reid and Hughes Department Store in Norwich while still a high school student. After graduation she was promoted to the billing department where she remained employed until her marriage to John Eyberse (U.S. Air Force, Warrant Officer) in 1945. They met because John delivered Bond Bread to the family home. The wed at Montville Congregational Church. They relocated to Midwest City, Oklahoma within two months of marrying and lived there for one year. Following John’s honorable discharge from the service they returned to CT settling in Manchester. They welcomed a son John William (J.B.) in February of 1948. Marjorie’s first love Johnny died unexpectedly in 1953 at the age of 40. She took a position as a cashier at First National Grocery Store in Uncasville until her marriage to a childhood friend from Uncasville, William Brooks in 1955. Marjorie and Bill resided in a family home in Mystic. In 1957 the family took a memorable one month car trip across the US. While Bill held a position in the Accounts Payable Department at Electric Boat, Marjorie worked as a clerk/cashier at Bastian’s store in Groton Shopper’s Mart from 1956 until 1973 when the store burned down. She subsequently found work at Rexall Drugstore in downtown Mystic that became Higgins Pharmacy and then the Seaport Pharmacy. Marjorie and Bill enjoyed spring and fall trips to Cape Cod over many years as well as annual February vacations to Treasure Island, FL. Tragically in 1993 her son J.B., an Eagle Scout, was killed in Forestville by a drunk driver at the age of 45. After a fall at home, followed by surgery, Bill died in 1997 at the age of eighty-four. After the pharmacy closed, Marjorie went to work part-time at Peppergrass & Tulip where she continued to order & stock greeting cards until she turned 100 years old. She lived independently in her Mystic home where she fed the birds each day and mowed her own lawn. For seventeen years, Marjorie kept company with her neighbor Carl Willis on Noank-Ledyard Road until his passing in 2017. Together they sold vegetables, apples, peaches and zinnias at their roadside stand each summer where they became good friends with many of their regular customers.
Throughout her life Marjorie made and maintained friendships all across the country and corresponded regularly through cards and letters. She was a caregiver to many family and friends over the years. She enjoyed needlework and making ornaments at the holidays. Her handstitched pillowcases were always well-received gifts as well as her cookie assortments at Christmas. In 2018 Marjorie moved to her own apartment in Friendship Manor at Fairview where she formed many new friendships. On the occasion of her 100th birthday, she received 64 cards representing over half a century of friendships.
Marjorie was predeceased by her parents and three siblings: Marion, Donald, Dorothy (Denning), both husbands, her son and several nieces and nephews. She is survived by her sister Dorothy’s daughter Colleen Tabor (Pittsford, VT) and great nephew Jeffrey Clark (San Antonio, TX) and great niece Jan Bullock (Forest Park, GA) as well as many local nieces and nephews on her husband Bill’s side of the family. She will be laid to rest at the family gravesite in the Comstock Cemetery in Uncasville. GI lieu of flowers, gifts in Marjorie’s memory could be made to Connecticut Audubon Society (314 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, CT 06824) or the Boy Scouts- Mystic Troop 76.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 6, from 10:00 to 10:30am at the Dinoto Funeral Home, 17 Pearl Street, Mystic, followed by a funeral service at 10:30am. Services will conclude with burial in Comstock Cemetery, 17 Peter Avenue, Uncasville.