Dr. James Lee Brooks Jr.

BROOKS JR., DR. JAMES LEE of Dallas, TX, died Oct. 15 at Presbyterian Hospice in Charlotte, NC after an extended illness. Lee was born in Blytheville, AR, Dec. 14, 1947, to James L. Brooks (deceased) and Martha Lee Brooks. Lee grew up in Corpus Christi, TX, where he graduated from Ray High School in 1965 and went on to attend Baylor University where he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science with a minor in German. He then attended UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and graduated in 1973 with a specialty in anesthesiology. Lee served six years in the United States Air Force and achieved the rank of Major before leaving the service for private practice in San Antonio, TX. He subsequently performed a fellowship at Emory University Medical Center, Atlanta GA in cardiac anesthesia prior to founding an anesthesia practice in Orlando Florida which serviced several hospitals in the area. After retiring from his anesthesia practice, Lee returned to Dallas in 2007 and established a new consulting business focused on enhancing the quality of life for his clients. One of Lee's hallmarks was his constant intellectual curiosity. He was an avid reader with far reaching interests and he was a lifelong student of history, philosophy and the social sciences. Lee spoke several languages including Italian and traveled extensively in Italy and other European countries. He also loved music and for years had season tickets to the New York Metropolitan Opera as well as the local symphonies where he lived. Lee was active with the Atlas Society, a Washington, DC based think tank dedicated to rationality, free market capitalism and individual human achievement and flourishing. Lee is survived by his daughter, Nikki Murphy, her husband, Gary, and their two children, Macie, age six, and Brock, age four of San Antonio, TX. He is also survived by his mother, Martha Lee Brooks; brother, Franklin Hall Brooks; and his wife, Gail Wood-Brooks of Charlotte, NC. Other surviving family members include his uncle Mel Brooks, Jr.; and first cousins, Judy Adams, Mel Brooks, III, and Alan Brooks and their families. Additionally, Lee is survived by Susan Brooks, his former wife, who remained one of his best friends through the years. A service will be held at Harry and Bryant Co. "Chapel in the Oaks", 500 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC, Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 at 11 a.m., followed immediately by a wake at the home of Frank Brooks and Gail Wood-Brooks at 2432 Cloister Dr., Charlotte, NC. Lee will be buried next to his father in Blytheville, AR. and a brief grave side service will be held there also. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be donated to The Atlas Society, a not for profit foundation, located at 1001 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 830, Washington, DC 20036.