Dr. G. Allen Brooks

CHAPIN Services for Dr. George Allen Brooks, 68, will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 21, 2010, at Main Street United Methodist Church, Columbia, with burial in Elmwood Cemetery and Gardens. The family will receive friends following the service at the cemetery. Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel is assisting the family. Dr. Brooks died Thursday, November 18, 2010. Born in Columbia, SC, on March 23, 1942, he was a son of Eba Counts Brooks and G.B. Brooks Jr. Allen grew up in the Shandon area of Columbia and attended A.C. Moore Elementary, Hand Jr. High and Dreher High School. He was a graduate of the University of South Carolina. Allen married Patricia Ann Thomas in 1964. Patty followed Allen through many places during his dental training and practice. Patty always provided the stable foundation and Allen loved her dearly. They were married 46 years. He received the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery from the Medical University of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia in 1967. He was licensed to practice Dentistry in South Carolina in June 1967. He earned his certificate in Periodontia and Oral Medicine from the New York University College of Dentistry in 1969 and was licensed to limit his practice to Periodontics in June 1972. Doctor Brooks was commissioned in the U.S. Army in 1967. He served in the U.S. Army in Europe and was assigned to the 768th MED DET (DS) in Mannheim, Germany as Chief of Periodontics. While serving in Germany, his daughters were born in the 130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. He was a member of the 385th MED DET and the 885th MED CO in Florence for twenty years. He was the last commander of the 385th MED DET and the first commander of the newly formed 885th Medical Company. Doctor Brooks retired from the U.S. Army Reserves in 1995 having attained the rank of Colonel. He was a Life Member of the Reserve Officer’s Association. Doctor Brooks was Assistant Professor of Periodontics at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1972 and 1973. In October 1973, he opened his private practice of Periodontics in Columbia. In 1978, he joined the dental staff of the W.J.B. Dorn VA Hospital as Staff Periodontist and retired from the full time practice of Periodontics in January 2001. While with the VA, he participated in dental implant research through the Dental Implant Clinical Research Group and was co-author of articles on an unusual tumor of the mandible discovered in the Dental Service. He was on the faculty of the General Practice Dental Residency at Palmetto Health Richland Dental Department and was named “Mentor of the Year� 2002-2003 by the dental residents. Doctor Brooks was a 25 Year Member of the Southern Academy of Periodontics and a retired member of the American Academy of Periodontics. He was the President of the South Carolina Society of Periodontics in 1978-1979. He was a lifelong member of Main Street United Methodist Church and a member of the Viogt Taylor Sunday School Class and was recently attending Chapin United Methodist Church. Allen’s avocation was genealogy. He loved his family and spent many happy hours researching his family in central South Carolina (especially Newberry County) and Germany. He loved to share this knowledge with those who were interested. In addition to his wife, he is survived by loving daughters, Suzanne and Catherine Brooks; grandson, Eric; brother, Tom (Cathy) and many nieces, nephews and close loving friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Main Street United Methodist Church Building Fund, 1830 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201 or the charity of one’s choice.