Evelyn Carol Howard Brooks

Evelyn Carol Howard Brooks, born on June 3, 1939, in Kannapolis, North Carolina, passed away on March 29, 2026, peacefully at her home in Troutman, North Carolina surrounded by her children. She was 86. A woman of extraordinary grace, warmth, and faith, Evelyn touched the lives of all who knew her with her generous spirit and radiant smile.

Evelyn grew up in Kannapolis, the daughter of Arthur William Howard and Maudie Sue Miller Howard, and graduated from A.L. Brown High School. On January 1, 1958, she married Edward Odell Brooks, (Sac.) beginning a loving partnership that would span sixty-six remarkable years. She later earned an Associate degree in Fine Arts from Central Piedmont Community College, a testament to her love of learning and creativity. Evelyn worked as a perimetrist at Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat for over a decade, where she was known for her professionalism and kindness.

Evelyn was a beautiful woman with an equally beautiful soul. She had the most delightful personality, always friendly and always laughing, with an extraordinary ability to make everyone she met feel like the most important person in the room. She was never too busy to listen, never too tired to offer encouragement, and always generous with her time, her resources, her words, her love, and her hugs and kisses, An amazing cook, she took great joy in hosting holidays and gathering her family around her table as often as possible.

Her passions were many and varied. She loved gardening, sewing, crocheting, and painting ceramics. She and Sac traveled together to all fifty states, creating a lifetime of cherished memories. Evelyn held a deep and devout love for the Jewish people and faith, traveling to Israel seven times throughout her life.

Evelyn dedicated herself to serving others through her community and her church. She and Sac were longstanding members of Hickory Grove Baptist Church and later FIT (Founded in Truth) Church. She volunteered with the Red Cross, taught Sunday school for many years, helped coach girls' softball teams, and served as a crossing guard. Among her proudest moments were knowing that all of her children and their spouses had committed their lives to the Lord.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Edward Odell Brooks (Sac); her mother, Maudie Sue Miller Howard; her father, Arthur William Howard, her granddaughter Julia Christine Kozoman and her grandson, James Robert Kozoman, Jr. (Bert) sister, Shirley Howard Rogers and brother Arthur Kenneth Howard.

Evelyn is survived by her four children and their spouses, Wendy Brooks Pridgen, (G.L.) Dell Brooks Barton, (Brad) Stephanie Brooks Harpman, (Tim) and Edward Lawrence Brooks,(Shana) as well as her sister, Marlene Joyce Howard, along with 11 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and dear friends who will forever hold her in their hearts.

Funeral services will be held at Troutman Funeral Home in Troutman, North Carolina, on April 6, 2026. Receiving of family and friends will take place from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., followed by a celebration of life at 2:00 p.m. Burial will be private for the family. Pallbearers will be her grandsons: Rory David Joyce, Jr., Brooks Parker Joyce, Bradford Chase Barton, Nicholas Payne Barton, Samuel Malachi Kozoman, Luke Edward Brooks, Rory David Joyce, III and Trae Woodard.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-27

Arrangements for Evelyn are in the care of Troutman Funeral Home.