Philip Brooks

Philip Brooks, 78, of Fremont, passed away January 24, 2022, at Elmwood Communities in Fremont. He was born in Leipsic, Ohio, on June 30, 1943, to Lowell  and Florence (Windle) Brooks. He graduated from Leipsic High School in 1961 and from Ohio Northern University in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Philip began his military career with active duty service in the United States Air Force in 1965. Following a tour in Vietnam in 1969 during the war, he was honorably discharged in 1971. His first civilian job from 1972-1977 was as a project engineer for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).  Philip then served full-time in the Ohio Air National Guard, joining in 1978. He began as the base engineer at Camp Perry, was promoted to Base Commander of the 200^th Red Horse Squadron, where he stayed for 20 years until his retirement in 1998. By the end of his career, he was Lt. Colonel Philip Brooks. On January 1, 1967, he married Barbara Ridenour in Lima, Ohio, and they enjoyed 55 years of marriage until his passing.

Philip was a 40 year member of Hayes United Methodist Church and a lifetime member of the Ohio Northern University Lehr Society. As a professional engineer, his work experiences took him on international travels to places such as Honduras, Israel and Panama. His love of travel also took him across the United States, including his expedition on the Lewis and Clark Trail. In addition, Philip was an auto racing enthusiast and followed both Indy and sports car racing.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Barbara Brooks of Fremont; daughters, Dawn (Brian Tabor) Brooks of Indianapolis, IN, Heather (Nathan Baughman) Brooks of Zoar, Ohio; and grandchildren, Evelyn and Lillian Tabor. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his sister, Mary Lieb.

Services will be held privately for the family. He will be laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery of Lima.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hayes Memorial United Methodist Church or to the Veterans of Foreign Wars at heroes.vfw.org.

Herman-Karlovetz Funeral Home & Crematory, Fremont, Ohio, has the honor of assisting the Brooks family during this difficult time.

To express online condolences please visit www.hermanfh.com.