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James Richard Brooks, Jr. (Rickey), passed away on Monday, 11/23/2020 at Wake Med in Raleigh, NC. The family takes some comfort in knowing that his last days were spent doing what he loved; fishing at the Outer Banks. Rickey was born and raised in Mooresville, N.C. He is pre-deceased by his father, James Richard Brooks, mother, Dorothy Farris Brooks, and a brother, Donald Ray Brooks (Donnie). He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 52 years, Lynn Alexander Brooks, his son, Jamie and granddaughters Brea and Eva and a daughter, Suzy Wright and husband Lewis and their children, Sam and Anna. He is also survived by a brother, Gary Brooks and wife, Martha and a sister, Robin Brooks Wally and husband, Terry. Ricky received his education from the Mooresville Public Schools. He graduated from N.C. State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Textile Chemistry. He also served in the Army as a lieutenant during the Vietnam war where he was awarded several medals including the Bronze Star Medal. After his time spent in service to his country, he began his career at ICI Americas in Charlotte, NC where he was the Plant Manager until his retirement. Rickey realized the importance of a life lived with the ones you loved over any material possessions. He loved and was loved in return by his family and enjoyed his many friends. He will long be remembered for his witty sense of humor and his stunning blue eyes. He was a traditionalist at heart. He lovingly planned the annual family beach vacation where memories, too many to count, were made every single summer. Rickey enjoyed hosting the family Christmas party with his famous Hatteras-style clam chowder. And he loved spoiling his grandchildren. He and Lynn would always make sure the grandchildren always received exactly what they wanted for Christmas and each would have a stocking hung on the mantel with fun and silly gifts and treats. The grandchildren would say, “Who needs Santa when we have Papa?” He and Lynn also treated his kids and grandchildren to wonderful trips to Disney World where we enjoyed the rides and shows and dinner with the characters and enough magical memories to last a lifetime. Rickey enjoyed gardening and spending time in his yard. He always had tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, okra and turnips that he would graciously share with friends, neighbors and family. When spending time with friends, he would either be going to the latest movie release and then off to lunch or hanging out at JR Cigar in Mooresville where he and his buddies would swap stories and just enjoy each other’s company over a cigar. His favorite pastime by far was his fishing trips to the Outer Banks. These trips spanned over Fifty years; and he never missed a single year. The fishing group would change and evolve over the years but everyone was always welcomed. The more the merrier. Sometimes they caught a lot of fish and other times, not so much. But it didn’t really matter too much to Rickey. Just being at the Outer Banks and spending time with those who shared his passion was what mattered the most to him. In lieu of flowers please donate to a charity of your choice or Ocracats - Ocracats is a non-profit organization that helps the feral cats on Ocracoke Island. We feed, spay, and neuter the cats to try to control the population. We have clinics to spay and neuter the cats but after surgery and some rest, we have to release them where we caught them. Donations may be made to: PO Box 993 Ocracoke NC 27960Cavin-Cook Funeral Home, Mooresville, is serving the Brooks family.Condolences may be made to the family at www.cavin-cook.com.

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James Richard Brooks, Jr.

August 22, 1946 - November 23, 2020