Alan Brooks didn’t have long to live.
So when his fellow officers at the Marietta Police Department heard the news, they scrambled to pull together a quick retirement ceremony at his hospital bed.
Brooks was given his retirement badge and engraved service gun at 3 p.m. June 15.
At 4:15 a.m. the next day, he lost his years-long battle with cancer. He had been with the department for 22 years.
“When he’d walk in ... he just brought a sweet spirit to the room,” Sgt. Grant Foster told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Foster was Brooks’ supervisor for the past year, but had worked with him since 1995.
Foster said Brooks had battled cancer on and off for several years before he completed his retirement paperwork two weeks ago.
What separated Brooks from the pack, Foster said, was his “Gentle Giant” spirit combined with his tough drill sergeant exterior.
“It was always a pleasure going on call with him because no one gave us a hard time,” Foster said.
Brooks, 54, joined the department after serving in the U.S. Army. He mainly worked burglaries. His most recent one involved the arrest of teenagers tied to a rash of burglaries in Marietta, Foster said.
But what impressed Foster the most was Brooks’ commitment to his community and faith.
“He had a huge passion for the community,” Foster said. “He wanted to let them know we’re all one team. He was dedicated to the justice system, but wanted to let people know we’re not the enemy.”
Brooks’ funeral is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Zion Baptist Church on 165 Lemon Street in Marietta. He will be buried at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton.
“How he dealt with battling this ailment for so many years was very inspiring,” Foster said. “He never let up, he never complained. He always stayed positive and never lost faith in Jesus.”
In other news:
About the Author
