Frederick Emerson Brooks Jr.'s Obituary
Dr. Frederick Emerson Brooks, Jr., of Richardson, Texas, passed away on Friday, December 25, 2015 at Faith Comfort Care Home. He was 99. Emerson was born on October 14, 1916 in Mineola, NY. He attended Northwest Junior College, earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of Kansas in 1940, and at Yale University he earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering in 1944 where he also became an Edison Scholar. In 1939, he married Betty Jane Elliott, and together they had 3 children, Jared Emerson, William Lee, and Robert John. Emerson and family moved to Austin, Texas in 1943 where he joined the graduate electrical engineering faculty at the University of Texas, soon becoming the youngest full professor on campus. At UT he was Assistant Director of the Electrical Engineering Research Lab from 1945 to 1957. In 1957 Emerson and family moved to Richardson, Texas where he served as Director of Research and Development at Collins Radio (1957-1961), Senior Scientist at LTV, and finally Senior Scientific Consultant for E-Systems, retiring in 1981. After retirement, Emerson was honored by the U.S. Department of Defense in a Washington D.C. dinner ceremony for his early top secret work on radar systems for the military. Throughout his life Emerson was a do-it-yourselfer: from auto mechanic, to air conditioner repairman, from carpenter to electrician. In his Austin years he was an avid ham radio operator, model railroader and airplane hobbyist. He was an early computer enthusiast, assembling and modifying PCs as early as 1977, and staying current on computer industry developments. Emerson also was an amateur musician, inheriting his love of music from his mother and passing it on to his sons. During the 1960s, Emerson was elected to the Richardson School Board of Trustees. He was a 32nd degree Mason. After retirement, Emerson and Betty became enthusiastic campers and RV’ers, traveling all over the US and Canada, making friends wherever they went. Emerson began collecting jokes during their travels and soon began sending selections in a daily email to all of their friends. In the early 1990s, his wife Betty was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and Emerson cared for her until she needed the professional care of skilled nurses. Emerson remained devoted and visited her twice a day until her passing in June of 2000. It was during Betty’s illness that Emerson began describing his experiences with her eventual distribution of hundreds and hundreds of readers. Emerson continued to live in the Richardson home he and Betty purchased in 1957 until an illness and convalescence in 2011 required Emerson to move to Appletree Court Assisted Living, where he continued to make friends as before. Emerson loved to work in the yard and garage, grill steaks, make homemade pizza, play computer games, tinker with gadgets, play cards and other games, go to concerts, play his flute, and meet up with his sons for lunch and happy hours. In short, Emerson never stopped learning and enjoying life. He was full of both. Emerson is survived by his three sons, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and was preceded in death by Betty Jane Elliott Brooks, his wife of 60 years, his brother Robert Cochran Brooks, his sisters Jean Marjorie Brooks Hill and Betty Lou Brooks, and his parents Dr. Frederick Emerson Brooks and Ada Odessa Cochran Brooks. The memorial service for Emerson Brooks will be held at the Epiphany Episcopal Church in Richardson on Saturday, January 16th 2016, at 2:00 PM with refreshments following. Epiphany Episcopal Church 421 Custer Rd Richardson, TX 75080 (972) 690-0095 In lieu of flowers the family suggest memorial donations may be made in Emerson’s name to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children at 2222 Welborn St., Dallas, TX 75219.
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