John A. “Jack” Brooks, age 83 of Glasgow, Montana passed away peacefully on October 18 th , 2023 after a brief illness. Jack was born to John and Claudia (Jackson) Brooks, on November 2 nd , 1939, in Lewistown Montana. He was raised on a ranch on the Judith River. He attended grades 1 st – 8 th grade at the Balky Horse School which consists of just one room, then attended Winifred High School. He was a talented athlete who loved playing football, basketball and running track in high school. After high school, Jack worked at the Fleet Supply Store in Lewistown, Montana. In 1959, Jack married Judy Udelhoven and moved their family to Glasgow, where he was the manager of Fleet Supply Chain. In 1975, he married Rita Rice. In 1979, they purchased the business of Fleet Supply and changed the name to J&B Supply until his retirement in 2001. After a short retirement he went back to work at Pixley, a shuttle service for the railroad. Permanently retiring in 2011.
Jack was an avid fisherman and enjoyed hunting, camping, riding his Honda Gold Wing motorcycle, gardening, photography, bowling, reading books, and crossword puzzles. He enjoyed spending time with his family. His favorite stations were Fox News and the Cowboy Channel- in that order. Jack and Rita always looked forward to their time in Arizona, where they were snowbirds in the winter. While they spent their time there, they gained another amazing group of friends. He also had immeasurable empathy and would give a stranger the shirt off his back. He wanted nothing for himself and only wanted to see his family and friends happy and healthy. He was quiet, but always had a comical wit about him. He was a loving father and friend to so many. His generous heart will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. He wasn’t the last of his kind, he was the only one of his kind. We will miss him every single day and carry our cherished memories of him in our hearts forever.
Jack is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Rita Brooks; his children, Jay (Kim) Brooks, Curtis Brooks, Tracy (Wayne) Thompson, Trudy (Kevin) Dundas, Trynity (Mike) DeVries and Jonnie (Hal) Buerman, Kimberly (Kyle) Stingley and Kevin (Heather) Hartsock; 19 grandchildren and 28 great- grandchildren. He is also survived by multiple nieces, nephews, and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Barb Phillips.
Families are like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain one.