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Posted on the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors Site

In Memoriam - Marilyn Brooks

The first woman land surveyor in Oklahoma died Monday, June 24, 2019. Marilyn Brooks worked in land development for Cunningham Judd and Cunningham Graves in Oklahoma and Texas, respectively. Stanley Coalter, her supervisor at Cunningham Graves encouraged her to get her first surveying license in Texas. She also achieved her licenses in California, Arizona and Nevada. In the early 1990's, she was the first woman to achieve a surveying license in Oklahoma.

She graduated from Muskogee Central High School in 1959. Marilyn attended Oklahoma State University when women were only allowed to study certain fields. She started her career at Topographic as a draftsman in the 1960’s, as the first full-time Oklahoma City office employee. John Keating, the founder of Topographic, credited her as a key factor in the company’s early growth.

She was a partner with her nephew Alan at Brooks Land Surveying and Mapping in Durant, Oklahoma from 2004 to 2011 when she retired.

Born in Buffalo Oklahoma on January 19, 1941, Marilyn Brooks was the fourth of four children to Leo and Mary Brooks. She departed this world peacefully on Monday, June 24, 2019, at Denison Hospital, in Denison, Texas.

Marilyn is preceded in death by her mother Mary and father Leo Brooks, as well as her brothers Tom Brooks and John Brooks, and sister in law Nancy Hundley Brooks. She is survived by her brother Chester (Marla), as well as her sisters-in-law Judy and Martha. She is also survived by her many loving nieces and nephews and their families, and by her very good friends who were all as close as family to her.

The memorial service for Marilyn Brooks will be Friday, June 28 at Community Christian Church located at 5325 W University in Durant, Oklahoma. Family hour will be at 10:00 a.m. followed by the service at 11:00 a.m.

Gwen del Castillo:

Thank you for posting Marilyn's obituary.

In my personal experience, she was everything described and more. For those that did not know her, she had a big professional personality wrapped in a distinctive southern drawl. Twenty-five years ago I enjoyed many conversations with her. She took the time to school me. I am a better land surveyor for it.

Marilyn always had a survey story to tell that always put a smile on my face - usually relating back to her early years in Oklahoma. She had a deep wonderful laugh to accompany her smile. That said, I also note she had some kick in a disagreement.

I would occasionally call her in retirement. I am grateful for having known Marilyn Brooks.

DWoolley

It is sad to hear of the death of anyone, especially our comrades! It is a tough industry, especially coming up through the work in the field (for anyone). My brother got his first taste of field surveying doing cross sections for topographic surveys on the (at that time) new, Oroville Dam. After a couple months of rattle snakes and poison oak and going up and down cliffs, he decided, it was not for him. He became an air traffic controller instead. I remember hiring a woman chain man/woman in the early 1980's. She was all of 120 pounds and had worked for Massey Rock, Sand and Gravel as a grade checker. I took her on, but pulled no punches in my expectations. She needed to learn how to swing an 8-12 pound sledge hammer (for pounding 1"x2" hubs and pipes), and pull manhole covers to get inverts on manholes. She was a gritty gal, and, within a year, could stake with the best of the men. We worked together on projects in the low deserts of Palm Desert for 2-3 years.
RIP Marilyn, from a brother Land Surveyor. I hope we can perhaps meet someday at the gates of heaven?

It is sad to hear of the death of anyone, especially our comrades! It is a tough industry, especially coming up through the work in the field (for anyone). My brother got his first taste of field surveying doing cross sections for topographic surveys on the (at that time) new, Oroville Dam. After a couple months of rattle snakes and poison oak and going up and down cliffs, he decided, it was not for him. He became an air traffic controller instead. I remember hiring a woman chain man/woman in the early 1980's. She was all of 120 pounds and had worked for Massey Rock, Sand and Gravel as a grade checker. I took her on, but pulled no punches in my expectations. She needed to learn how to swing an 8-12 pound sledge hammer (for pounding 1"x2" hubs and pipes), and pull manhole covers to get inverts on manholes. She was a gritty gal, and, within a year, could stake with the best of the men. We worked together on projects in the low deserts of Palm Desert for 2-3 years.
RIP Marilyn, from a brother Land Surveyor. I hope we can perhaps meet someday at the gates of heaven?