December 9, 1936 – March 3, 2021
NOCONA – William Paul “Willie” Brooks, 86, died with his beloved wife Glendene at his side on March 3, 2021 at Magnolia Health Care Place in Liberty, TX. Now he truly lives in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
A memorial service for Mr. Brooks will be 1 p.m. March 12 at the First Baptist Church, 202 East Houston in Dayton. Willie’s service will be live-streamed through the First Baptist Church Dayton Facebook page.
Willie was born on Dec. 9, 1936 in Abilene to James Paul Brooks and Mary Wright Brooks. He graduated from Midland High School in 1955 where he was president of his senior class and the quarterback for Coach Tugboat Jones. He was voted “best all-around boy” by his peers and his coaches said he could hide the football and pass better than any quarterback Midland had ever seen. After high school, he went on to Baylor University, then to Howard Payne University where he graduated in 1960.
Willie met Glendene Philley on a blind date in May 1958 and the two were married a year later. They were together for almost 62 years.
His first job was at Smiley Wilson Junior High in Lubbock where he coached and taught social studies. One year later, he was hired at Highland Park in Dallas where he stayed for seven years. He also served in the Army reserves from 1957 -1963. From there he went to Bowie High School where he coached from 1967-69 and again from 1971-1980.
Coach Brooks is remembered by many of his football players, track athletes and business math students. During his time coaching in Bowie, his teams earned four District Championships, four Bi-District titles, two regional titles and one State Semi-Finalist title. At the time, only one team per district advanced to the playoffs. By today’s University Interscholastic League rules, every team Brooks coached would have advanced to the playoffs. His 1974 Bowie Jackrabbit state semi-final team beat future Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims’s Hooks team in the quarter-finals. He was named area coach of the year five times by the Wichita Falls Times. Brooks also coached for Midland Lee High School, Nocona High School, and Cleveland High School.
From 1974-1977, Brooks served as a director of the Texas High School Coaches Association. From 1980-1983, Brooks briefly left coaching to assist his father in the family grocery business in Copperas Cove. While there, he also served on the Coppers Cove City Council. He missed coaching, though, so in 1984 he joined Grant Teaff’s Baylor Football coaching staff as a junior assistant before moving to Nocona to continue his coaching and teaching career. He served as assistant superintendent in his final year at Nocona before moving to Cleveland. In 1991, Brooks made his way to Dayton where he served as the Dayton High School assistant principal, then principal. After retiring in 2000, he continued to work part-time for the DISD and faithfully supported Bronco Football for many years. While Dayton still had a local cable station, Brooks and friend Danny Fry broadcast football games each week.
In 2010, Brooks was inducted into the Bowie High School hall of honor. He was inducted into Dayton ISD’s Wall of Fame the same year for his outstanding service to the educational community. He was also named Dayton’s “sports fan of the year” in 2017, the inaugural year of Dayton’s sports hall of fame. He was a member of the Rotary Club in Bowie, Copperas Cove and Dayton. He also was a member of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and the Bronco Booster Club.
Willie was a dedicated Christian, serving as a deacon at First Baptist in Bowie, Fairview Baptist in Copperas Cove, First Baptist in Nocona and First Baptist, Dayton. He served as chairman of the deacons at Dayton for one year, and deacon emeritus after health problems prevented him from continuing as an active deacon.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Mary Brooks; stepmother, Estelle Allen Brooks; brothers-in-law, Jim Richardson and Joe Frank McCollum and grandson, Butch Jackson.
Willie is survived by his beloved wife, Glendene Brooks; son, Bart Brooks (Dorothy); daughter, Becky Brooks Jackson (Doug); sister, Marilyn Richardson; three brothers-in-law, Bud Philley (Judy), George Philley (Jody), Gene (Kristin); sister-in-law, Barbra McCollum; step-brother-in-law, Harold Wayne Allen; five grandchildren, Elisa Brooks Harris (Zakk), Jake Brooks, Shannon Brooks Fitzgerald (James), Jay Jackson and Landry Jackson; five great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchild, numerous nieces and nephews and a host of former athletes and students who counted Willie as a friend.
The Brooks family would like to thank Adam Ott and all the staff at Magnolia Place Health Care Place for their love and care. A special thank you to Shelby, Kristen and Ken of Kindred Hospice for their dedicated care.
Memorials may be given to Brooks BOJO Student Scholarship, P.O. Box 1285, Attn: John McShan, Bowie, TX 76230
Arrangements are under the direction of Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Dayton.
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