Neil Roger Brookes of Mattapoisett died Monday May 5, 2008 after a long battle with cancer. He lived in Mattapoisett for the past nine years and had many friends in the book club, bridge playing and pool shooting circles.
Roger was born on April 20, 1938 in Sheffield, England to Ruby and Norman Brookes. He attended King Edward VII School and the University of Bristol, where he was on the swim team and played water polo. After moving to the United States in 1963, Roger was an engineer for Curtis Wright and then General Electric, but was also an avid photographer of both landscapes and portraits, which were shown at a local exhibition. Roger had diverse interests and hobbies over the years, including jewelry and furniture making, pottery, stained glass, painting, music, sailing, fishing, darts and billiards. He was a very frequent patron of the Mattapoisett Public Library, and read voraciously.
Survivors include his sister Christine Craig and her husband Alastair Craig; his son Julian Brookes and his wife Laurie Brookes; his daughters, Caia Brookes and Kim Brookes; his niece Tina Richard and her husband Robert Richard; his niece Katie Craig, her husband Sam Mead and their children Ruby and Finn; his niece Jemma Craig, her husband Patrick Driscoll and their son Rowan; his nephew Jonathan Craig, his wife Julie Craig and their sons Ian and Alex; his sister-in-law Jo Gregory; his niece Claire Godfrey; and his nephew Richard Brookes. He was the brother of the late Ian Brookes.
A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday May 10, 2008 from 12-3 PM at the Kinsale Inn, 13 Water St., Mattapoisett.