Christopher Ardell Brooks

1951 - 2021

Christopher Ardell Brooks
September 16, 1951 - November 1, 2021
Kansas City, Missouri - Chris was born in Moberly, Missouri, and grew up in Raytown, Missouri. He attended William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, graduating in 1973 with a biology degree. He worked in commercial banking before joining Cerner Corporation.
At Cerner, Chris worked sixteen years as a solutions architect. He traveled the nation helping medical facilities configure Cerner's software. He enjoyed his time in England and Europe when called on to travel abroad. He retired in 2014 to pursue full time genealogical research.
Chris became interested in genealogy after graduation from college. He researched his family's origins, uncovering history into the 1300s. He published articles in several genealogical periodicals. Chris tirelessly helped many other families with their genealogies. He even taught himself how to translate genealogies from Dutch to English.
Chris was an excellent caregiver. After adding an addition to his house just for her, he cared for his widowed mother, Dorothy, for nearly a decade.
Chris loved his nephew and nieces. He made every holiday fun, spending most of his time playing on the floor with the kids. The biggest and best presents under the tree were always from Chris.
Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth Ardell Brooks and Dorothy Heath Brooks. His surviving family includes his brother, Frank Brooks (Mary), Winter Haven, FL, and his sister, Tori Michael (Dick), Blue Springs, MO.
He loved spending time with his nephew and nieces: Tim Michael (Valerie), Lee's Summit, MO; Hollie Shippy (Darryl), Lee's Summit, MO; Katie Stoops (Regan), Gardner, KS; and Ruth Thornton (Aaron), Lakeland, FL.
He also loved his eight great-nephews and nieces: Taylor Shippy, Gibbon, NE; Payton Shippy, Indianapolis, IN; Trent Michael (Heather), Willard, MO; Olivia Michael, Lee's Summit, MO; Carson, Jack, and Hayden Stoops, Gardner, KS; and Brooke Thornton, Lakeland, FL.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Monday, November 15th at Heartland Cremation and Burial Society in Raytown. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.