Merrill Joseph "Sonny" Brooks, Sr.

May 17, 1950 - May 7, 2018

Merrill Joseph “Sonny” Brooks, Sr., 67, of Hanover, husband of Linda Sipling Brooks, died peacefully on Monday, May 7, 2018 at Hanover Hall following a period of declining health. Born on Wednesday, May 17, 1950 in Hanover, he was a son of the late Donald R. and Shirley Pittman Brooks. A 1968 graduate of South Western High School, he was a veteran of the United States Army having served in Vietnam. In his younger years, he was employed by Hanover Paper Box and then spent 25 years with York Concrete Septic Tank Co. He retired from Wolf Distributing Company. Sonny valued spending time with his family and was a caring grandfather. He loved their trips to Ocean City, Maryland and to the casinos, where he played “All That Glitter.” An outdoorsman, he was a deer hunter and enjoyed camping. In addition to his wife of 49 years, he is survived by a son, Merrill “Joe” Brooks, Jr. and his fiancée, Amy Williams; two grandchildren, Timothy and Chastity Williams, all of Hanover; a brother, Randy Brooks and his wife, Sandra of Spring Grove; a niece, Heather Mitchua-Brooks of New Oxford; an aunt, Patricia Luckenbaugh of Hanover and an extended group of loving family and friends. The funeral will held at 1 pm Saturday, May 12, 2018 at Panebaker Funeral Home & Cremation Care Center, Inc., 311 Broadway, Hanover with The Rev. Fred Mummert officiating. Burial will follow in Marburg Memorial Gardens with military graveside rites being rendered by Hanover Allied Veterans Honor Guard. The family will receive friends at a viewing to be held from 6 to 8:00 pm Friday at the funeral home.