Sidney Warren Brooks Jr.

Sidney Warren Brooks Jr. passed on June 6, 2026, at the age of 97 shortly after the passing of the love of his life, Geraldine Brooks. A beloved and cherished presence to those who knew him, he will be remembered with deep respect for a life marked by devotion, hard work, and quiet inspiration—especially in the ways he showed up for his family, his faith, and his community. He was a resident of Montgomery, Alabama.

Born in Megargel, Alabama on April 14, 1929, Warren was the son of S.W. Brooks and Bama Parker Brooks. He grew up in Monroe County and moved to Atmore, Alabama in 1942, where his father worked at Fountain Correctional Facility and the family lived on their farm on the facilities' grounds. He remained there through high school graduation, later attending UAB to pursue further education in finance until the Korean War began. Warren served in the United States Air Force from 1950 to 1952 as a Finance Officer.

In 1946, Warren met the love of his life while working at a shoe store. A beautiful young woman came in needing shoe repair, wearing a bright yellow dress, and he was captivated. From that moment, he knew he wanted Geraldine “Jerry” as his own. He asked Jerry’s mother, Bertha, for the honor of taking her to prom; Bertha agreed on one condition: they had to go with Jerry’s older sister, Virginia. With the counsel of his father—who urged him not to let Jerry slip away when he was stationed in Spokane, Washington—Warren and Jerry eloped in Lucedale, Mississippi on January 6, 1952, beginning 74 years of marriage. The color yellow remained a meaningful thread between them, a tender reminder of where their story began.

They later moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where their first child was born, Gina, and then to Montgomery, Alabama, where Jerry wanted to settle. They welcomed two more children in Montgomery, Sydney and Richard, and lived there from the summer of 1965 onward—building a life defined by devotion and the kind of steadfast love that endures through every season.

Warren also carried a strong and intelligent entrepreneurial spirit throughout his life. He shared a close relationship with his father-in-law, Jeremiah Andress, who taught him finance and how to read the stock market. Warren went on to own his own finance companies—Standard Finance and Local Finance—from the 1960s to the 1990s. After selling those businesses, he owned several Mexican restaurants throughout the river region. In each chapter, his hard-working nature and determination were evident, leaving behind a legacy shaped by effort, responsibility, and perseverance.

A devoted Alabama fan, Warren lived and breathed Alabama Football. He attended Bama games faithfully beginning in the 1950s, spending decades with season tickets and seats on the 50-yard line. Not a day went by that he wasn’t asking how the Tide was doing. Above all, he shared his love for the Lord with his wife; together they were proud members of First Assembly of God.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Geraldine Brooks; his daughter, Mary Sydney Brooks McDonald; his parents, S.W. Brooks and Bama Brooks; and his siblings, James Howard “Bully” Brooks, Rosa Belle Whitehead, Franklin Delano Brooks, Allie Maxine McDonald, and Carolyn Ann Brooks.

He is survived by his daughter, Gina Brooks Sellers (Darrell); son, Richard Warren Brooks; grandchildren, Leigh Anne Luna, Darrell Sellers Jr. (Suzanne), Austin McDonald (Rachel), Taylor McDonald (Molly), and Blake McDonald; great-grandchildren, Joshua Luna (Karen), Jordan Luna (Jasmine), Jack Luna, Mara McDonald, Aiden McDonald, Sydney McDonald, and Lucy McDonald; and great-great grandchildren, Chris Salgado, Lucas Luna, Jimi Luna, Ethan Luna, Leia Luna, and Julianna Luna.