Patrick William Brooks

Patrick William Brooks, 82, died January 8, 2026, due to complications of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). A celebration of life in honor of Pat's remarkable life will be held on January 16, 2026, 2pm to 4pm with a time of remembrance at 3pm, at Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Blvd., Ames, IA 50011. Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care 414 Lincoln Way, Ames IA 50010 are in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Pat's honor to Ames Food at First or City of Ames Animal Shelter for the new Ames Animal Shelter yet to be built. The son of Mark and Madge Brooks, Pat was born on May 11, 1943, in Grinnell, Iowa. He was raised with his older brother Mike Brooks on the family's farm near Grinnell, Iowa. His early education began in a one-room schoolhouse on the edge of Grinnell. It was in that one-room school that his love for education and thirst for learning was born. Pat was the first in his family to go to college graduating from what was then State of Iowa Teachers College, now University of Northern Iowa. Pat said repeatedly over the last 59 years the best thing to ever happen to him was meeting his future wife Mary Davey while they wer...[more]

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tudents at UNI. Pat and Mary married on December 17, 1966. After graduating from college, Pat taught history and coached wrestling for one year in Waterloo, Iowa. A principled young man with lofty life goals he set his sights on becoming a lawyer with the desire to represent the common man who needed a voice. He graduated from University of Iowa Law School in 1971 where he was president of his law class. Many memories were made in Iowa City as Pat and Mary lived with their two young children in a metal quonset hut referred to as married student housing. Pat practiced his first year of law in West Union, Iowa, before moving to Marshalltown, Iowa, in 1973 to start a successful thirty-year career as an attorney at Brooks, Ward, and Trout Law Firm. Pat's passion for law and public speaking served him well as a tenacious trial attorney successfully trying many cases. In addition to being in private practice he served many years as Marshalltown City attorney. Following retirement from law he was elected to Marshall County Board of Supervisors. Outside of the law office Pat spent countless hours restoring antique Buicks. Pat was so passionate about restoring Buicks not only did he build a Morton Building to house his cars, but he also turned the 2nd floor of his historic Main St. Law Building into his personal restoration workshop. Thankfully Pat's law partners tolerated all his banging and sawing noises on the second floor working on his cars while his partners tried to practice law on the first floor. Pat served as president of the National Buick Club of America. In 1997, sponsored by Buick, Pat and Mary embarked on the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge driving Pat's 1949 Woody Wagon. In 2000, Pat and Mary participated in the Around the World rally driving Pat's Woody Wagon. In 2002 Buick named Pat head of the Buick driving team tasked with driving Buick's new Rendezvous on what was described as one of the world's most aggressive driving events - the 15,000 miles, 55 days, "Inca Trail 4x4 Adventure Drive" in South America with a Buick publicity team in tow capturing all the action. Several years later Pat drove a 1904 Oldsmobile in the London to Brighton rally in England. Pat was in his element travelling the world in Buick style sharing his Buick passion with anyone that would listen. Several of Pat's fully restored Buicks are housed in museums across the country and in Europe. After travelling the world in a Buick Pat's wife persuaded him to hike England coast to coast; an adventure he talked about for years. Pat was also a master woodworker, skilled pool player placing in the State of Iowa pool tournament several years in a row, and an avid collector. In 2011 Pat and Mary relocated from Marshalltown to Ames to be closer to their daughter and her family. Pat considered his family his greatest accomplishment and was incredibly proud of his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Mary Brooks, of Ames, daughter Cally (John) Jennett also of Ames, son Mark (Evelyne) Brooks of Provence, France, grandchildren Maggie Selle, Ellie Breitenbach, Russ Jennett, Sam Brooks, Nora Brooks, and his brother Mike (Joan) Brooks of Newton. He was predeceased by his parents.