Tyrrell W. "Ty" Brooke
August 25, 1932 ~ June 4, 2021
Tyrrell Willcox Brooke “Ty”
Ty Brooke was born August 25, 1932, in Minneapolis and died June 4, 2021, peacefully at home, surrounded by family. He graduated from Westfield High School in Westfield, NJ, in 1949 and from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, in 1953. He served as a German translator in the Army Security Agency in Frankfurt, Germany, from 1953-1955. In 1958, he married Elizabeth “Liz” Barnard, and they have remained deeply in love with one another ever since. He worked in sales in Iowa and Ohio and was co-owner of Bennett Lumber Company in Medina, OH, before moving to Vienna, VA, in 1968. Here he owned a Taylor Rental Center from 1977-87 and founded Brooke Rental Center in 1987.
He adored his family and it always came first for Ty; many of his activities involved one or more of their three sons. He believed in the importance of local institutions to the survival of our democracy and was active in many. In Medina he held local, Ohio, and national offices in the Jaycees and earned the Outstanding Young Man award; in Vienna he was chairman of Cub Scout Pack 1116, the founder and first commissioner of Vienna Youth Soccer, chief timer for the Cardinal Hill swim team, president of Madison High School Band Parents, helped found a chapter of Sigma Nu at Radford University, served as treasurer of the Theta Chi Alumni Board at West Virginia Wesleyan College and on the Fairfax County Vocational Education Advisory Committee, the Washington Building Congress Pennsylvania Avenue Development Committee in Washington, DC, was chairman of the City Zoning and Planning Commission in Medina, and chairman of the Town Business Liaison Committee in Vienna, was treasurer of the Alumni Greek Council at F&M College as well as a member of the board of directors of the Alpha Theta Alumni of Lambda Chi Alpha and the F&M Alumni Board; he has been president of the Washington Area Rental Association, treasurer of the Virginia Rental Association, and the alumni president and mentor of the Harbaugh Club at Franklin & Marshall.
Generous in every way, Ty had a strong desire to try to solve or influence the outcome of every problem he encountered. Many years ago he arranged for the planting of flowering cherry trees in front of each home in his neighborhood in Vienna. He sold outfield ads and hung them on the fence himself for the Marshall High School baseball team.
Ty’s favorite and abiding interest was reading, primarily history and biography. His curiosity about everything was boundless, and he believed in buying the books he read, amassing a large collection. He did research on his own family history and took his family to visit many places significant to their ancestors in the U.S. and abroad. He often visited the still-existing house built in St. Mary’s County, MD, by his immigrant ancestor Robert Brooke in 1650, almost single-handedly rescued and helped restore a 19th century derelict cemetery in Zanesville, OH, and took his entire family to Whitchurch, Hants, England, for the baptism of his first grandson in the old church that contains both brass memorials and recumbent effigies of his Brooke ancestors.
He is survived by his wife Liz, sons Tom (Carol) in Falls Church, Bob in Lakeland, MN, Jim (Leigh) in Vienna; and five grandchildren. Visitation at Money & King Funeral Home will be 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 12, and a service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 13, at Church of the Holy Comforter, 543 Beulah Road, Vienna. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be sent to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the National Parks Conservation Association or a charity of your choice.
Ty Brooke was born August 25, 1932, in Minneapolis and died June 4, 2021, peacefully at home, surrounded by family. He graduated from Westfield High School in Westfield, NJ, in 1949 and from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, in 1953. He served as a German translator in the Army Security Agency in Frankfurt, Germany, from 1953-1955. In 1958, he married Elizabeth “Liz” Barnard, and they have remained deeply in love with one another ever since. He worked in sales in Iowa and Ohio and was co-owner of Bennett Lumber Company in Medina, OH, before moving to Vienna, VA, in 1968. Here he owned a Taylor Rental Center from 1977-87 and founded Brooke Rental Center in 1987.
He adored his family and it always came first for Ty; many of his activities involved one or more of their three sons. He believed in the importance of local institutions to the survival of our democracy and was active in many. In Medina he held local, Ohio, and national offices in the Jaycees and earned the Outstanding Young Man award; in Vienna he was chairman of Cub Scout Pack 1116, the founder and first commissioner of Vienna Youth Soccer, chief timer for the Cardinal Hill swim team, president of Madison High School Band Parents, helped found a chapter of Sigma Nu at Radford University, served as treasurer of the Theta Chi Alumni Board at West Virginia Wesleyan College and on the Fairfax County Vocational Education Advisory Committee, the Washington Building Congress Pennsylvania Avenue Development Committee in Washington, DC, was chairman of the City Zoning and Planning Commission in Medina, and chairman of the Town Business Liaison Committee in Vienna, was treasurer of the Alumni Greek Council at F&M College as well as a member of the board of directors of the Alpha Theta Alumni of Lambda Chi Alpha and the F&M Alumni Board; he has been president of the Washington Area Rental Association, treasurer of the Virginia Rental Association, and the alumni president and mentor of the Harbaugh Club at Franklin & Marshall.
Generous in every way, Ty had a strong desire to try to solve or influence the outcome of every problem he encountered. Many years ago he arranged for the planting of flowering cherry trees in front of each home in his neighborhood in Vienna. He sold outfield ads and hung them on the fence himself for the Marshall High School baseball team.
Ty’s favorite and abiding interest was reading, primarily history and biography. His curiosity about everything was boundless, and he believed in buying the books he read, amassing a large collection. He did research on his own family history and took his family to visit many places significant to their ancestors in the U.S. and abroad. He often visited the still-existing house built in St. Mary’s County, MD, by his immigrant ancestor Robert Brooke in 1650, almost single-handedly rescued and helped restore a 19th century derelict cemetery in Zanesville, OH, and took his entire family to Whitchurch, Hants, England, for the baptism of his first grandson in the old church that contains both brass memorials and recumbent effigies of his Brooke ancestors.
He is survived by his wife Liz, sons Tom (Carol) in Falls Church, Bob in Lakeland, MN, Jim (Leigh) in Vienna; and five grandchildren. Visitation at Money & King Funeral Home will be 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 12, and a service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 13, at Church of the Holy Comforter, 543 Beulah Road, Vienna. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be sent to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the National Parks Conservation Association or a charity of your choice.
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I met Ty in 1985 and have considered him a friend ever since. I loved surprising him with a lemon bar and a cup of coffee every once in awhile. He was always very appreciative! I will surely miss talking with him about many different topics and his journeys, when time allowed at the store. I send my deepest sympathy to all the family. God speed Ty…..
Our very deep condolences on your loss of Ty.