Service held for Duard Austin Brooks
Duard Austin Brooks, beloved husband, Daddy and Papa, 81, went home to Heaven on January 16, 2019, after a courageous battle with cancer. Duard was born in Calvin, OK on January 31, 1937, to Thomas Franklin Brooks and Eula Stanfill Brooks. Having lost his mother at a young age, he and his older sister, Yvonne, grew up in south central Oklahoma, where Duard graduated from Coal-gate High School in Coalgate, OK in 1955.
Duard moved to Tulsa following high school and began working for Bethlehem Supply Company where he met his future wife, Sally Sparkman. They were united in marriage on February 16, 1957 and made their home in Tulsa where Duard attended the University of Tulsa while working full time, graduating in 1968 with a BBA in Accounting, and subsequently obtained his CPA license. In 1972, Duard moved his family to Bartlesville where he was the international controller for H. C. Price Company until 1981, when he joined Phillips Petroleum Company. Duard retired from Hale-Halsell in Tulsa in 2004.
Duard, along with Sally, was a member of Carbondale Assembly of God in Tulsa, where he served on the church board and as the church treasurer. After moving to Bartlesville, they became members of Tuxedo Assembly of God Church where Duard and Sally taught the young couples Sunday School class for many years. Together with Sally, he served his community as a “Gillie” at Gil-crease Museum in Tulsa, and as a volunteer and member of the board of directors at On The Rock Ministries a youth-focused ministry in Bartlesville. Duard was a long time volunteer, teaching with Junior Achievement, serving with United Way of Washington County, serving as a member of the Bartlesville City Planning Commission and as president of Band Boosters at College High School.
Duard travelled all over the world while working for Price Company, and that love of travel extended into retirement. Together with Sally, he traveled to all 50 states and several foreign countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Turkey, Israel, Singapore, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Lebanon and the Middle East. He loved to visit his niece in Italy to help with the olive harvest and then to venture on to the Matterhorn with his sister, Yvonne. Family was the most important thing to Duard. He was a wonderful husband, dad, grandfather and uncle, cheering from the sidelines or the audience at every football, baseball, or soccer game, theatre, choir or piano recital for his children, grandsons, nieces and nephews.
Duard and Sally were married for 59 years prior to her death in March 2016. He is survived by daughter Dana Brooks Bourland and her husband, Jeff, of Wichita, Kansas, and their children, Brooks Bourland (and his wife, Jennifer) of San Antonio, TX, Connor Bourland (and his wife, Bethany) of Dallas, TX and Colin Bourland (and his wife, Adrianna) of Atlanta, GA; and daughter, Kristi Brooks of Dallas, TX and her children, Austin Reid of Tulsa and Braden Reid of Dallas; great-grandchildren, Ian and Maddie Clendenning; his dear companion during the last years of his life, Debbie Davies of Dewey; and countless nieces and nephews and their families also survive him.
Duard was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Sally; and his sister, Yvonne Raney.
A Celebration of Life service was held Tuesday, January 22, at 2:00 pm at Carbondale Assembly of God Church in Tulsa with Rev. Phil Taylor offi ciating. Entombment was in Green Hill Cemetery in Sapulpa, OK.