Colin Cornelius Brooks by Gracious Grafx

ORDER OF SERVICE Officiating Minister Rev. Barrington Daley Opening Hymn Amazing Grace Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now am found Was blind but now I see ‘Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear And Grace, my fears relieved

‘Twas Grace that brought us safe thus far And Grace will lead us home Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see

How precious did that Grace appear The hour I first believed Through many dangers, toils and snares We have already come Prayer Rev. Barrington Daley Bethabra Moravian church Scripture Reading Psalm 90:1-12

Carlette Sewell (niece)

Hymn It Is Well With My Soul When peace like a river attendeth my way When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well with my soul

Refrain

Refrain It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul) It is well, it is well with my soul

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought My sin, not in part, but the whole Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Refrain

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come Let this blest assurance control That Christ has regarded my helpless estate And has shed His own blood for my soul

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight The clouds be rolled back as a scroll The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend Even so, it is well with my soul! Refrain

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

Scripture Reading 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Kareem McBean (nephew)

Song Selection

Amoy Woodburn (grandniece)

Tributes Janet Bailey (daughter) Ellen Woodburn (sister) read by Melissa Wilson (grandniece) LoriAnn Barracks (niece) read by daughter Samantha Cherrington Song Selection Eulogy

Karen Lattibeaudiere (niece)

Bianca McFarlane (granddaughter)

Song Selection Mark & Donna McDonald (niece and nephew) Message Rev. Barrington Daley Prayer Recessional Hymn Precious Memories Precious memories, unseen angels Sent from somewhere to my soul How they linger, ever near me And the sacred past unfolds Refrain Precious memories, how they linger How they ever flood my soul In the stillness, of the midnight Precious sacred scenes unfold Precious father, loving mother Fly across the lonely years And old home scenes, of my childhood In fond memory appears Refrain

I remember, mother prayin’ Father too, on bended knee The sun is sinkin’, shadows fallin’ But their prayers still follow me Refrain Precious memories, how they linger How they ever flood my soul In the stillness, of the midnight Precious sacred scenes unfold Precious memories fill my soul

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

olin Cornelius Brooks was born in Blenheim district, Newport, in the parish of Manchester, on March 24, 1950. He was the sixth child, and the youngest boy, of seven children for Edward and Iris Brooks. Colin attended the Bethabara primary school. After graduating from primary school he went on to trade school, specializing in electronics, and was trained to be an electrician. During his adult life he took jobs in Kingston and Manchester. Colin was a hardworking man. If there was no work in the areas that he was trained in, he would sometimes work in construction or do odd jobs to make sure he could take care of himself and his family. He even went several times on the Jamaica Farm Work Program to the United States. As a young man, he became the father of two daughters - Sharon, who is now deceased, and Janet the elder of the two. As he matured, he realized that he needed to take onto himself a wife. He went on to marry his sweetheart, Utel, the mother of his children.

Two years after they got married, Colin migrated to the United States to join Utel and the children who were already living there. When he settled in the USA, he was trained to be a plumber and worked in that field for twenty-one years. By the

time he retired he was a master plumber. Grandpa Colin was always a funny man. He loved telling jokes about the family, his work experiences, people he grew up with, and things he saw and heard in his everyday life. At times, he loved to come up with these silly bits, or funny jokes that always made us all buckle over with laughter. He also loved coffee. He had to have a cup every morning or his day wouldn’t be right. He loved sports in general, but he avidly watched baseball and cricket on TV. Grandpa Colin was in his third year of retirement in Jamaica, and was visiting the family in Florida, when he went home to be with Lord on September 28, 2021, at the age of 71. We cherish the memories we have of him and know he is smiling down on all of us. We are grateful to have had as much time with him as we did. We miss him so much already and will forever remember him and his incredible contribution to our lives as husband, father, grandpa, brother, uncle, and friend.

In closing, your devoted wife Utel says to you, “I love you and I miss you so much babe!” Colin Cornelius Brooks leaves behind his wife of twenty-six years, Utel; daughter Janet; grandson Travis; granddaughters, Bianca and Jennay; great granddaughter, Zeniya; sister Ellen, brother Spencer; many nieces and nephews; cousins, and friends to grieve this tremendous loss.

“Say not in grief ‘he is no more’ but in thankfulness that he was.” Hebrew Proverb

My dear Colin, Little did I know that evening God was about to call your name. In life I loved you dearly and in death I loved you the same. It broke my heart to lose you sweetheart, but you didn’t go alone… A part of me went with you, the day God called you home. You left me many beautiful memories But your love is still my guide. Although I cannot see you, you’re always on my mind. The family chain is broken and nothing seems the same… But as God calls us one by one - the chain will link again. [Author Unknown] Love you and miss you babe. Sleep in Peace - Utel.

GRANDPA – OUR DEFENDER

randpa, it’s hard to believe you are actually gone. It feels surreal to be writing a tribute for a day we knew would come, but did not expect so soon. What can we say about our Grandpa? We wouldn’t be the amazing adults we are today without him. The fact that he’s not with us anymore breaks our hearts, but the fact that he taught us what it means to really love will help us heal and go on.

The one thing grandpa would always say is that he loves his family. After he retired, whenever he visited from Jamaica, he would wait for us to get home from work. No matter how late the night was he would be sitting on the porch, waiting to open the gate for us, to make sure we were safe. We all have different memories and moments that we shared with him. Jennay will always cherish the times he taught her how to drive and made sure she had money for school every day and offering for Sunday School each week. Bianca will never forget that it was from grandpa she got her first car and that she was the apple of his eye. Travis and grandpa both loved nature. They would sit and watch animal planet, argue about sports and the ultimate ‘fave’ - going fishing. Oh, how they loved going fishing! We remember how we would wait for grandpa to come home from work so we could raid his red truck for change to buy ice cream, or for him to walk us to the corner store to buy snacks. Or, the times the dogs would escape out the back yard and we would have to chase them down to get them back in the yard. We may not always have shown it but we always looked up to him. From we were very small, we knew that he was the ideal example of what a family man should be. Not only was he the leader of our family, he was an incredible human being, who left his mark on everyone he met. We often joked that he was the weak link in our family, but as we look back, we see that he was the strongest in his own way. Always silent, not saying too much, but very present and ready to defend his family. While we may not know the future looks like without grandpa, we know that we are better persons because we were loved by him. We hope that we can live up to the example of love, strength, character, and integrity that he set for all of us. While he’s no longer here to say that he’s proud of us, we carry his strength in our hearts. The kindest compliment we hope to hear someday is “your grandpa would be proud.” You being gone was something that we were not prepared for. However, we know your strength and love will be with us in the quiet moments when our emotions tend to get the best of us. We love you deeply and miss you dearly but we will carry on your legacy in the lives we live. Love - your grandchildren Travis, Bianca and Jennay.

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

Dad, thank you for always being there for me. You will always be the first man I ever loved.

y dad was a loving and caring person who always put the needs of family first. His daughters were his heartbeat. He always told us how much he loved us and wanted us to be safe. He was an amazing dad and I was lucky to have him in my life. My dad was the one who chose my name at birth - Janet Maria; this was the name of one of his favorite singers. He would sing lyrics from her songs to my mom when they were courting. Dad would tell me stories of me growing up. He loved to tell the one of when I was a baby and I had a bad cold and he would suck the mucus out of my nose. He would say, “Janet, yuh know me save yuh life!” Dad and I had lots of cherished memories. I remember as kids in Jamaica my dad would go to the United States on farm working jobs. He would bring back pretty dresses with matching shoes for my sister and me. Once he came back with a Polaroid camera. He took pictures of us the minute he came to my great grandmother’s house. We were all a mess. My sister, cousins and I were super excited to see him and yes, more excited about what he brought for us. Dad’s favorite pastime was fishing. However, it was not his favorite thing to eat. Dad’s favorite food was meat and he especially loved PORK - jerk, brown stewed, however he could get it. I remember cooking dinner and had to take out everyone’s meat before daddy would get to the kitchen. If he made it to the kitchen, before I rescued the meat, we would all be eating SO-SO FOOD! Daddy’s Friday night ritual was picking up and bringing home pork fried rice and chicken wings from the nearby Chinese restaurant. I would watch him pick out all the pork out of the rice as he only wanted the meat.

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

When my sister took sick, dad and I became closer. He was my rock; he always tried to reassure me that she would be fine. He would tell me not to worry and we would pray together. He would laugh and remind me again how he saved my life when I was a baby. That story was his way of telling me how much he loved me. We would also talk about old times and shared cherished memories about family and friends. Dad went for his annual checkup and was given bad news from the doctor about his health. He came home and told us he would have to undergo a procedure to get him better. We would pray often both for him and my sister and of course he would squeeze in a little something for the grandkids. Even though he was sick, I was moving a week before his surgery and he insisted on helping. Dad was the only man I could always count on to be there for me. As the procedure got closer we talked about how he would be ok. We had high hopes that he would have a speedy recovery and continued to pray together for him and Sharon. I went to visit him after the procedure. We blew each other kisses and he asked me to pray for him. We prayed together and worshipped the Lord. I know he is now with my beloved sister dancing on the streets paved with gold. There are not enough words to describe how important my dad was to me. He will continue to be a powerful influence in my life. Dad, no matter where life takes me, I’ll remember you with love. Dad, please take care of Sharon. I know you left us to be with her. I miss you more than anybody knows. I love and miss you every day! May God Bless You, and may you Rest-in-Peace DAD. Love – Janet Maria.

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

Col

UNCLE

o much has been said about our uncle, Colin Cornelius Brooks, affectionately called Uncle Col that we decided we will do our tribute about some idiosyncrasies (uniqueness, quirks) of uncle that may not be known by many in the family but are endearing to us and made us love him so much more.

Idiosyncrasy #1 – Midnight Cooking

Uncle Col lived in Coopers Hill, St. Andrew, Jamaica, with his brother Edward Brooks, (deceased) affectionately called Uncle Eddie and his family for several years. During that time, he went on the Jamaica Farm Work Program to the US. After returning from the last farm work program work he would go on, Uncle Col built an adjoining self-contained house onto Uncle Eddie’s house. He found a job in Kingston and would come home late at nights. As children, Shawn (my cousin), came to Kingston to live with Uncle Eddie and his wife, Auntie Peggy. Every year, my mother would send me to spend one month of my summer vacation with Uncle Eddie and Aunt Peggy. This gave me the opportunity to see Shawn and all my other cousins and have wonderful summers where we built lasting memories. Uncle Col’s late night cooking quickly became the most anticipatory thing to occur during my summer visits and a memory burnt forever in our minds. Uncle Col would come home most of the time between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. He would quickly get settled and then head straight for the kitchen. By midnight, Uncle Col would be cooking rice and peas and stew chicken or rice and peas and fried chicken. Even if we were sleepy, we would wait up to see what Uncle Col was going to cook. Of course, we wanted some of it, and usually we got some of it even when Auntie Peggy didn’t think we should be eating so late at night and we should go to our beds. Uncle Col and us would giggle in the kitchen as he would tell us jokes and even while we waited for his “pot” to cook, we would sometime

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

roast jackfruit seeds and eat them. Looking back now, that was like an appetizer before the main course meal (late at night). Uncle Col was a great cook. His meals were always scrumptious and delicious and we always wanted more.

Idiosyncrasy #2 – Two Foot Driving!

Our Uncle Col was the only man, no – the only person we knew who drove an automatic car with both feet. Uncle Col had one foot on the gas and the other foot on the brake when driving. He drove like this for many years smoothly and without any problem just like us “one footer” automatic car drivers. I was amazed the first time when I realized that was how he drove automatic cars. His reasoning for driving that way was simple – “Yu have two foot and two pedals; mi use my two foot dem and drive any automatic vehicle. Why mi mus use one foot fi drive a two pedal vehicle. The whola unno a eediat a drive wid one foot!” Every time I remember this quirk about Uncle Col, it would make me smile and chuckle to myself. I am sure that whenever Shawn remembered this “two-foot driving thing” herself, she did the same thing too! Several times over the years I have tried Uncle Col’s way of driving and failed miserably. I would either step on the brake too hard, almost “brukking” mi neck or step on the gas pedal too hard barely missing running into the back of the vehicle in front of me. No sah, twofoot driving is not fi me! Uncle Col, you are truly missed by us, and there are so many memories we made with you that will forever live on in our hearts and minds. I was your sound board, and I am happy and grateful that you chose me for that purpose. I actively listened to you and never passed judgment or assumed anything. You loved Shawn’s cooking, especially her beef pot roast! You helped raise her and I know she sees you more like a father than an uncle. Our countless telephone calls and in-person conversations are seared in our minds, and we are better off for having had you as our uncle. You were a man who spoke your mind, straightforward and forthright. Your love for your family was obvious and unconditional. We admired you and looked up to you. Thank you for the laughter, the memories, the stern warnings, admonitions, and advice even when we disagreed with you. In the long run, we usually ended up doing or saying the things the way you advised us to. Hey Shawn…. Waa gwaan K…., we will never hear those greetings from you again in this life, but we will see you on the other side with God and His angels uncle. We love you! Sleep on our beloved and take your rest. Selah! Karen Lattibeaudiere (Niece) and Shawn Sewell (Niece).

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

MEMORIES

t is often said that people who you meet along the way move from friends to family. Affectionately called Uncle, by members of the community and friends, Colin was known as a quiet, humble, reserved, yet firm person. You would always see him on his chair on the outside of his home looking out, enjoying the beauty of the environment.

His favorite book of the bible was Psalms; the book that has the most songs and praises to our Almighty, the book of praise and comfort. We take comfort in the fact that although our time together has ended we are grateful for the times we shared. Sometimes you offered words of wisdom; other times it was just a soothing conversation about life. We will miss the special moments shared together joking and laughing about moments of life. Now we are here to celebrate your life, the measure of its worth, and every single life you touched while you were on this earth. We wish to pay our last respects, that’s why we are all here, to thank you for your friendship and all the memories we hold dear. It’s been a privilege to have known you. We were family, not just friends, and we will carry you in spirit. We love you but God loves you best. God be with you till we meet again. Sharon and Nickoy Finlayter

eath is inevitable. It is a journey that everyone must take. We often wish death was not a part of life. We wish we could remain on earth with our near and dear ones and not die. Uncle, I still can’t believe I am writing a tribute because of your passing. Words cannot describe this difficult moment. Since this is the last time I get to say goodbye then I will do so with the knowledge that I consider myself blessed to have lived this life as your niece. Your death has left a void that no one can ever fill.

I remember when you went to America (on the farm work program), you were working on an apple farm and not allowed to take apples back to Jamaica. Uncle bought a tide soap, emptied the soap and used the bag to put the apple in it. When we bit the apple it tasted like soap. Uncle told us to peel it. Gone - yet not forgotten. Although we are apart, your memory lives within me. Uncle you are forever in my heart. S.I.P Loriann Barracks

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

BelovedUNCLE

“Mr. Brooks, Uncle Cal, Brooksy Bwoy, March Man.”

t is with the deepest sadness and sorrow that I compose this tribute. My uncle was a warm-hearted, loving, and fun person to be around. He had a distinct sense of humor that took quick wit to understand. He spoke from the heart, his laughter and smile radiated from his eyes. He loved his family dearly. He would often tell me how grateful he was for his wife, children, and grandchildren. He would always remind me I was the son he never had.

I also had the privilege of working with my uncle. He held his own amongst the best. While at work, we would tell silly jokes, argue politics, spoke of the good old days, and lamented friends and loved ones lost. He worked through pain but we never failed when executing the given task. He would constantly remind me that he would be escaping from this rat race soon. His dream was to be back in the beloved island of Jamaica to live out his final days. His dream became a reality and it was in my plans to see him there... but it wasn’t meant to be. All changed... You were taken, gone in the blink of an eye, The Lord gave you your wings and you had to fly. We had unfinished task, when we spoke, I told you to hold on, that’s all I asked. God knows what’s best, Knew you were tired and took you home to rest. Sooner or later, we’ll reconnect at the end of this road. We’ll see your face again when we too release our earthly load. REST IN PEACE MY BELOVED UNCLE. Love Courtney. (George “Courtney” Edwards.)

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

Colin

OUR UNCLE

olin Cornelius Brooks, affectionately called Uncle Cal, was a brother, husband, father, an uncle and a friend! For me and the boys, it was Uncle Colin. I met Colin Brooks in the 1980s when I married into the family. He was living in Coopers Hills, Jamaica at the time. He welcomed me warmly into the family… and said, “Junior get wey wid murda”. That comment meant that he approved of his nephew’s choice. That would be the start of a long and lasting family bond.

He later migrated to the United States to join his wife and children. He made a life there for many years until he retired in 2018 and returned to Jamaica. Whenever he was coming to Jamaica, he would call me to arrange a rental car for him. This gave me the opportunity to transport him to and from the airport for many years on every trip he made to Jamaica. On our rides together, Uncle Colin would tell me stories that would make me laugh until tears came to my eyes. He never liked cruise trips, and as far as I know, he never went on one. He also did not like flying in airplanes so he only flew to and from Jamaica and Florida. Uncle Colin was a very outspoken person. Suffice it to say, he had no filter; he would just tell it like it is…take it or leave it…that’s just how he was. As an inlaw, I got a lot of support from Uncle Colin during difficult times, especially two years ago, during the time of my bereavement when his nephew, my husband, passed. I will never forget the support he gave as long as I live. I also remembered travelling many times to Florida and had to overnight at his house in Miami, to catch the connecting flight the next morning. Even during my short stays, I was treated royally by him and Auntie Utel. He would always tell me that the boys and I were always welcome at his house. He had a special love for Kareem to the extent that he fondly called him “My idol”. They would talk ever so often on the phone, and he would always allow Kareem to pray for him towards the end of the conversation. He was a very family-oriented man and would hurt deeply whenever a member of the family had a health issue. When Kareem was a small child, he was seriously ill and that deeply affected Uncle Colin. Kareem was in the hospital for weeks, but Uncle Colin did not come to see him because he was not fond of hospitals and all the things that accompany that environment. Nevertheless, he always kept in touch

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

to be updated on Kareem’s status and showed his support. Uncle Colin loved and cared for his family. He loved his wife and two daughters dearly. His love for the extended family was also strong and there would even be times when he would get stern with his older siblings or cousins all out of love. Uncle Colin was an energetic and vibrant person. I never recalled him having any health issues, or being admitted in the hospital, except once in 2019 when he had the Dengue Fever. In 2020 he returned to the US to be with Sharon, his daughter, who was seriously ill. We talked several times on the phone. Little did I know that he would be gone in a few weeks after his beloved daughter. Thank you Uncle Colin… for all the memories, for the warm welcome you gave me when I became a part of the family, for the love you extended to my children, for trusting my judgments and decisions when the need arose, and for the laughter. You surely had a good sense of humor. Things happened so swiftly since we last spoke on FaceTime while you were in the hospital. I did not get the usual greeting, but I was hopeful that you would be home with your family in short order. However, “The Lord giveth and he taketh away, blessed be the name of the lord!” On behalf of my sons: Adriano and Kareem, our deepest condolences to Auntie Utel, Janet, Bianca, Jennay, Travis, Aunt Ellen, Uncle Spencer, the rest of the Brooks family, other extended family members, friends and loved ones. RIP Uncle Colin. From: Patricia McBean

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

GRAVESIDESongs When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more And the morning breaks eternal bright and fair When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun Let us talk of all his wondrous love and care Then when all of life is over and our work on earth is done And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there

When the roll is called up yonder When the roll is called up yonder When the roll is called up yonder When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there

Won’t It Be A Time Won’t it be a time, when we get over yonder! Won’t it be a time, when we get over yonder! Won’t it be a time, when we get over yonder! Oh Oh! Won’t, won’t it be a time! We’ll see King Jesus there When we get over yonder; We’ll see King Jesus there When we get over yonder;

We’ll see King Jesus there When we get over yonder. Oh Oh! Won’t, won’t it be a time! We’ll sing and shout, and dance about When we get over yonder; We’ll sing and shout, and dance about When we get over yonder; We’ll sing and shout, and dance about When we get over yonder. Oh Oh! Won’t, won’t it be a time!

Someday, Someday I’ll Go Where Jesus Is Someday, someday, I’ll be caught up to meet Him, I’ll go where Jesus is; Caught up to meet Him; Someday, someday, Singing joy and happiness, I’ll go where Jesus is. Peace is mine! Someday, someday, One day in glory, I’ll go where Jesus is; I’ll tell the story, I’ll be caught up to meet Him in the I’ll be caught up to meet Him, air. Caught up to meet Him, caught up to meet Him in the air.

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks

Thank You

The family of the late Colin Brooks, “Uncle Col”, wishes to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone. The numerous calls, prayers and other forms of support have been a source of comfort to us during this time of bereavement. The Family

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

T & J PARADISE FUNERAL SERVICES

8 Ward Ave. Mandeville, Manchester Jamaica (876) 548-0143

INTERMENT

FAMILY PLOT

Blenheim District Newport, Manchester Jamaica

PALL BEARERS George Edwards (nephew) Omar Woodburn (nephew) Allan Brooks (nephew) Chadwick Brooks (grand-nephew) Travis Walford (grandson) Nickoy Finlayter (friend) PRINTING

PENTECOSTAL TABERNACLE INTERNATIONAL, INC.

www.PenTab.org (305) 651-9696

ART DIRECTION & LAYOUT SHAWN FERGUSON

GRACIOUS GRAFX STUDIOS

GraciousGraFX.com (954) 515-9016

Celebrating the Life of Colin Brooks