BROOKS, Dr. James Webster, passed away at the age of 86 on September 27, 2008 after a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his loving parents, Samuel Carroll and Linda Carruthers Brooks. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Vina Isach Brooks, as well as children, Susan Brooks Wyman and husband, Andrew, James Webster Brooks Jr. and wife, Deborah, Linda Brooks Talley of Washington, D.C., and Scott Carruthers Brooks of Knoxville, Tennessee; brother, Samuel Carroll Brooks Jr. and wife, Elfriede of Steamboat Springs, Colorado; grandchildren, Christopher Bernard Duke, Brooke Wyman Killgo and husband, Adam of Atlanta, Georgia, Sarah DeKalb Wyman, Emily Carter Brooks, Jackson Connor Brooks, and Melissa Carrington Brooks; and numerous other nieces and nephews. Dr. Brooks was born in Round Hill, Virginia, on February 20, 1922, and raised in Winchester, Virginia. Following his high school education at Handley High School, he received his Bachelor of Science from The Citadel in June 1943. He received his MD degree from the Medical College of Virginia in March 1946, and was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Society. From 1946 until 1947, he served his internship at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, where he met his future wife, Vina. He served as Captain in the United States Army from 1947 until 1949 at Walter Reed Hospital. He then did a surgery research fellowship at MCV studying the treatment of burn injuries from 1949 until 1951. He did his residency and fellowship in surgery from 1951 until 1956 at MCV. Following this, he completed a fellowship in Thoracic Surgery at the University of Wisconsin in 1957. Since 1957, he has been on the faculty at the Medical College of Virginia as a Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon. In 2000, he was appointed Emeritus Professor of Surgery and remained active in teaching, patient care and committee membership until the time of his death. He was a member of many local, regional and national medical societies. He served as past president of the Richmond Area Heart Association from 1968-1969, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association from 1975-1976, and the American College of Chest Physicians, Potomac Chapter from 1979-1980. He published many articles on basic scientific and clinical information gained from his years of research and authored numerous chapters in surgical textbooks. He was respected by all as an outstanding clinician and surgeon, consummate professional, and a true southern gentleman, a role model for all to emulate. Perhaps his biggest contribution to medicine is reflected in the countless number of students and fellows that he trained. Although he dedicated his professional life to teaching and the healing of others, his true passion was his family. His smile, the twinkle in his eyes and his contagious sense of humor delighted his family, friends, patients, and colleagues. He professed a love of God and country, and he enjoyed the Redskins, golfing with family and friends, and long warm August days at Virginia Beach. He was a wonderful human being, husband, daddy and friend and an inspiration to all who had the privilege of knowing him. He was blessed to have a second home and family at MCV. He truly loved the institution and all that it represents as well as everyone he had the privilege of working with over the past 51 years. His family wishes to extend their sincere and heartfelt gratitude to those who loved and cared for him, especially those who comforted him and his family over the past two weeks. The family will receive friends at Parham Chapel, Woody Funeral Home, 1771 N. Parham Road on Tuesday, September 30, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 1 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 4602 Cary Street Road, Richmond, Va. A private graveside service will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to MCV School of Medicine Annual Fund, P.O. Box 980022, School of Medicine Development Office, MCV Campus, Richmond, Va. 23298-0022, or to the Citadel Brigadier Foundation, Inc., 171 Moultrie St., Charleston, S.C. 29409.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Jim, I vividly recall working with you and Lewis Bosher at MCV. You would finish a case and then duck your head under the water at the scrub sink. There was always a bar of dove soap nearby. I enjoyed watching your ritual! David Beall PA
David Beall
September 23, 2025
I worked at MCV as a PA in CV Surgery almost exclusively in cardiac surgery. One month the fellow on Dr. Brooks service was away and I was assigned to assist Dr. Brooks in the OR...I was really nervous...no bovie..clamp and tie bleeders..wire sutures for the fascia..glass bottles for chest tubes..he was very kind to me and the operation went well. I remember Dr. Brooks dove soap at the scrub sink, his sticking his head under the scrub sink water after a case, the white towel around his...
David Beall
June 03, 2025 | Work
Every time I vote or work a crossword puzzle, I think of Dr. Brooks! He always encouraged me to vote (at the time I started at MCV as an O.R. RN, I never thought my vote mattered). He sure changed my mind and now, not only do I vote, but encourage others to do so. We also used to have a new word of the day. He would give me a new word; I had to look it up and use the word in a sentence. I also tried to use the word throughout the day : ). He was a great educator and role model! On the...
Donna Pastor Wooley Orlando
September 23, 2020 | Richmond, TX | Coworker
My mother, Linda Turner, was Dr. Brooks' secretary for about ten years, as I recall. She adored him and I just found this obituary online. I just wanted to let you know that she respected Dr. Brooks and thought very highly of him.He was very kind to my mother. She passed in 1996.
Sincerely,
Michelle Turner Sams
Michelle Sams
November 13, 2012 | Aylett, VA
Dr. Jim Brooks was a great teacher, I was a student under him for a month in Thoracic Surgery in 1990, where we did two operations a day when he was over 70, we started our day at 530am ending at 730pm, for 10 years as a medic I transported patients with chest tubes under his watchful eye, he loved his grandchildren and had pictures of them in the OR glass cabinets, He loved his patients like a father, and was a great man to know, you always remember him with scrubs and a towel over his...
Robert M. Bowie M.D.
February 05, 2009 | Bangor, ME
Dr. Brooks was a great men and an excellent teacher. He taught me the nuances of chest surgery. He touched a lot of lives and he will be missed by all.
Chuck Mulligan
February 04, 2009 | Landenberg, PA
I extend my sincerest sympathies to the family of Dr. James Brooks. Another M.C.V. giant is gone. He was an incredible southern gentleman, who when we last met at the memorial service for another surgical giant Dr. Richard Lower; recognized my voice when we spoke, and though I had retired some 10 yrs prior, recalled a funny incident just prior to my retirement. His surgical skill and diagnostic prowess knew no equal during his tenure at MCV. He'll be missed by many.
Sandra Witherington
October 17, 2008 | Marco Island, FL
Dr. Brooks was a great man, and will be sorely missed. He performed an operation on me over 50 years ago. I was only 5 days old at that time in January 1958. I was born with a tracheoesophageal fistula
(my esophagus was not properly attached to my stomach).
He did an excellent job; too well, as a matter of fact. I could use to lose a few pounds! It’s because of him and his skillful hands that I am living and loving life.
Jeanne Tillery
October 14, 2008 | Stuarts Draft, VA
Dr Brooks saved ny life in 1964.
He operated on my lung after multiable spontainous numorthoraxs.
He continued my checkups through the years at no charge and bragged
about his handywork still walking around. I am so sorry to hear about his passing and want to express my sympothy to his family and wish all of them the greatest of health.
James Price
October 06, 2008 | Richmond, VA
