Sue Longest Brooks, age 86, died peacefully in her home in Clinton on October 29, 2020 after an extended illness.

Sue was born to the late Harbert Beckham and Lucille Hatten Longest, in Lyman, MS, on September 17, 1934. She graduated from Gulfport High School in 1952, Blue Mountain College in 1955, and received a Master's Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. As an Oral Communications teacher, she taught for nine years in the Jackson Public Schools before joining the faculty at Hinds Community College in 1974. She taught in the Speech and Theatre Department at Hinds for 25 years until her retirement in 1999.

A practicing Christian and joyful lover of Christ all her life, Sue exhibited and freely shared the spiritual gifts of compassion and wisdom. She loved her God, her church, her family, her friends, and her students with an open and generous heart, never veering from "bearing the burdens" of others in their deepest need or celebrating with them in their joy. Gifted with a beautiful lilting soprano voice, Sue sang in the Raymond United Methodist Church choir for decades and later in the chancel choir of Clinton First United Methodist Church. A life-long and avid lover and patron of theater and the arts, she directed and performed in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" her senior year of Blue Mountain College.

A child of educators in Gulfport, Mississippi, Sue devoted her life to teaching, first with Jackson Public Schools at Provine and Wingfield High Schools. In the summer of 1957, Sue Longest met Fred Brooks while attending a doctoral class in speech education at Mississippi Southern. Marrying in 1958, Fred and Sue would later teach speech at Hinds Community College, each with offices in the Brooks building.

Sue brought with her to Hinds recognition as Mississippi's Outstanding Speech Instructor, from the Mississippi Speech Association. She created and taught an intensive public speaking camp for state officers of the Future Farmers of America and a similar evening course for elected officials and other professionals.
She was a faculty leader eagerly sought to serve on college-wide committees. Her affable manner, exceptional communication skills and utmost dedication to student success made her a valuable participant. She played a major role in a 1980s college-wide customer service effort, "I am Here for Students," which involved employees at all levels and is still remembered today.
Sue contributed to a scholarship created in their names in order to endow it. The colleague who established the scholarship said of the Brookses: "I consider the Brookses to be the epitome of professional educators. They encouraged those in their classes to work hard, be fair and to become better students and people." Teaching in the speech department for a combined 54 years, Fred and Sue were active supporters of Hinds Community College, the community and their professional organizations. To those who know them, they are loyal and loving friends.
Both Sue and Fred received the Outstanding and Distinguished Academic Instructor of the Year awards and both were named as Professor Emeritus of Speech and Theatre.
Sue was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 55 years, Fred L. Brooks, Jr, her brother and sister-in-law, Drs. John Christopher and Doy Payne Longest, and niece Judy Longest Bethea.

She is survived by her son, Rev. Dr. Rick Brooks (Lynn) of Ocean Springs, and daughter, Rebecca Brooks Prewitt of Clinton; grandchildren, Matthew Prewitt (Ashley) of Clinton, Catherine Brooks of Southaven, Shane Prewitt of Chicago, IL, and John Wesley Brooks of Ocean Springs; great-grandchildren Job and Rachael Kate Prewitt of Clinton, nieces, Peggy Bates (Charles), Betsy Longest, Sally Laughlin, Chris Corhern (Steve), all of Starkville. She is also survived by many cousins, great-nieces and nephews, and their families.

A Service of Death and Resurrection will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 4, at First United Methodist Church, Clinton at 11:00, with public visitation an hour before beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment and graveside rites will be at Raymond cemetery, Raymond, Mississippi following the service. A time of visitation will also be held on Tuesday, November 3, at Wright and Ferguson in Clinton from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. An online guest book is available at wrightferguson.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Hinds Community College - Brooks Foundation Scholarship, PO Box 1100. Raymond, MS 39154.