Brooke Baxter

Brooke Baxter
Brooke Baxter of Naples, FL, formerly of Sherman, CT, passed away peacefully on November 9. An outdoors enthusiast, Brooke was a renowned authority on rattlesnakes, a hunter, fisherman, sailor, and camper. Brooke was a championship sportsman setting the course record at the Lake Waramaug Country Club at 2 under par, a record that held for almost 20 years, and winning the LWCC golf championship five times. He was an equally accomplished tennis player with championships in doubles and mixed doubles. Brooke was a mentor to family and friends, who were inspired by his love of life and enjoyed his patience and enthusiasm for teaching hunting, archery, golf and tennis to aspiring sportsmen.
After twenty years with AMOCO Oil, Brooke co-founded Baxter & Gibson Real Estate, a leader at the time in the community. Brooke was also a US Army veteran, placed on active duty during the Berlin Wall crisis. He retired with the rank of Major from the Army Reserves after twenty-three years of service.
A graduate of Staples High School in Westport CT, Brooke earned his Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Connecticut, where he met the love of his life, Rosalie Marie Douskey Baxter. They lived in the family home in Sherman, CT with their four children Cindy, Brooke, Mark, and Laura. Brooke and Rosalie were active community members, holding positions on town boards, volunteer programs, The Sherman Players and Brooke's involvement in the Sherman Inland-Wetlands Commission.
A man of many accomplishments, Brooke's biggest distinction was that of a devoted father and grandfather to his four children and seven grandchildren. Proud of his family heritage, he researched and reunited distant family members, initiating the first family reunion in the 1980's. The tradition continues, with Brooke as the senior family member attending this year's reunion in Boston - inspiring all. He is sorely missed by his children, grandchildren, brother Robert, long time caregiver Sampson Fenny-Coleman, extended family, and friends.
A memorial celebration of Brooke's life will be held at the Sherman Congregational Church in Sherman, CT on December 8th at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to The American Cancer Society, Southwest New England Region 38 Richards Rd Norwalk, CT 06854-2318.