Glenn Brooks Obituary

Brooks Jr.
Glenn Ellis
Brooks Jr.
March 12, 2025

1931 - 2025, Aged 93
The human soul is purported to weigh 21 grams. We contend that Glenn's weighs significantly more. (And NOT because he was a Texan.)
Glenn had a challenging childhood in Kerrville, TX, where he was born and raised. His parents, Ellen and Glenn Sr, were brilliant yet troubled. His coping skills for this early trauma were determination and denial. He credited his scout leader Rex (and Rex's wife Faye) with steering him on his life's path. He joined the Naval ROTC with hopes of emulating his famous cousin, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. He served rotations on the USS Missouri as a Midshipman, but a bleeding ulcer thwarted his Naval ambitions.
Not one to be discouraged, Glenn won a scholarship to The University of Texas at Austin, and there he completed his BA and MA. There he also met his intellectual peer, Ann Rankin. They were married in 1953, the year he completed his BA, and later moved to Baltimore to complete his PhD in political science at Johns Hopkins University. Soon he received job offers from several prestigious institutions of higher education, including Colorado College, Vassar, and Buffalo. His family have always been grateful he chose Colorado.
In 1960, Glenn became a professor of political science at CC. During his long and distinguished career, Glenn mentored and influenced countless students, whose names and stories he never forgot. He brought his intellectual prowess to other parts of the world, including the University of Nairobi, Princeton University, and The London School of Economics. At CC, he was a specialist in American government, and his passions included civil rights, conscientious objection, and a liberal arts education. He is perhaps best known as one of the founding fathers and chief architect of The Block Plan, the unique and hitherto unimagined learning system of studying one subject at a time for 3-1/2 weeks. The plan was implemented in 1969 and continues to this day. Glenn later served as Dean of the College and Faculty from 1979 to 1987.
A devoted husband and father, he was a fierce protector of his "treasures," as he called his three daughters. He was a loyal and steadfast friend to many. He had a strong moral compass and sense of justice. As for his political leanings, he was Anableps - he would not only see the surface, but what was above and below. His analytical mind was always in pursuit of a well-rounded perspective; he was never dogmatic. His intellectual curiosity was inexhaustible.
A gentle titan, Glenn earned respect not by demanding it, but through his unshakeable integrity and indomitable spirit. He was known for his sharp wit, his compassion, and his humility. He had an insatiable appetite for news, music, and reading. The latter was robbed from him by wet macular degeneration and he was legally blind for the last 10 years of his life. His love of books was restored by audiobooks, which he listened to with gusto until his last days.
He loved running and climbing mountains, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and numerous Colorado 14ers. His dotage was blemished by loss of mobility, eyesight, and hearing, but he never complained and his core was never shaken. His love of life and people burned brightly right until the end.
Glenn leaves behind the broken hearts of his former wife Ann, his daughters Beth, Amy, and Celia, his grandchildren Jess, Michael, and Tess, his great-grandchildren Cameron and Raegan, and his bonus family Inna, Nina, and Nick. Also his devoted caregivers, including Janet and the staff at Brookdale Monument Valley Park, as well as innumerable friends, colleagues, and former students.
"Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to:
Checks to be made out to "Brookdale Holiday Fund" and mailed or dropped off to: Brookdale Monument Valley Park, 10 W Monument, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Friends of the Colorado Talking Book Library friendsofctbl.org
CPCD - Giving Children a Head Start cpcdheadstart.org
In notes, please specify "in memory of Glenn Brooks".
Please also pay homage by playing Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 - preferably at high volume.
A celebration of his amazing life will be scheduled in autumn.