Jeanine Brooks

1958-2026

Jeanine Brooks, born in Anaheim in 1958, died September 21, 2026.

Those who knew my mother know she was a complex person. She experienced challenges and tragedies but her life is a tale of overcoming them and carrying on to be a light in this world. She touched the lives and hearts of many.

I will forever cherish her stories of being the first female firefighter at the Morgan Hill station, crashing an ambulance during her time as an EMT (accidentally, of course), her many adventures at Disneyland (as she was an Anaheim gal), meeting my father through a pen pal program for soldiers overseas, etc.

She will live on in our annual holiday tradition of baking bread/cookies, whenever “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong comes on, and whenever we see her favorite flower (Bird of Paradise).

She wrote these words before her passing:

The life accomplishments I am most grateful for are caring for family and friends as a friend and nurse, and nurturing my daughter Shannon to be a strong, kind person. Among my favorite memories are seeing the beauty of the Sistine Chapel with Shannon, celebrating Shannon’s marriage to Keith, and riding across the Golden Gate Bridge on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcycle with dear friend Morty.

Death is nothing more than passage into another realm of existence; we live on in the hearts and memories of loved ones. So please do not grieve. Wherever you are, spread love and kindness and live every day with vigor and laughter.