Ethel Mae “Brooksie” Brooks Johnson was born Aug. 13, 1938, to the union of Cecilia (Smith) and Lucius Brooks in Sunset, La. She married Rodney Johnson in the summer of 1961, they started a family and remained in the community for six decades.

She worked more than 30 years at St. Patrick’s Hospital in various capacities until her retirement in the mid-1990s as secretary in Physical Therapy.

She was a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church for 60 years where she taught Sunday School, was a deaconess, worked on the Mission Board and was a founding member of the Scholarship Committee in 1980.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; four brothers, The Rev. Melvin Brooks, The Rev. Henry Brooks, Ivory Brooks, and Arthur Brooks; three sisters, Clara Dixon, Lillie Martin, and Rachel Larkins; two grandchildren, Rachel Cecilia Spencer and Joshua Caleb Spencer; and one great-grandson, Daniel Lee Washington III.

She is survived by a son, Rodney Jerard (Charlene) Johnson; two daughters, Kathleen (Daniel) Washington and Frances (Scott) Spencer; four granddaughters, Jessica Johnson, Alexis (Bryan) Malbroux, Sara Johnson, and Cecilia Spencer; two grandsons, Daniel (Katrina) Washington Jr. and Darrell (Estoria) Washington; seven great-grandsons, Davin Washington, Daxson Washington, Jordan Johnson, Kingston Johnson, Bryan Malbroux Jr., Dorian Washington, and Dominic Washington; and three great-granddaughters, Kamryn Washington, Olivia Malbroux, and Karoline Washington; and a host of godchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

Her visitation will be Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 from 11 a.m. with her funeral following at 1 p.m., at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 3007 Enterprise Blvd.  Pastor Braylon Harris will officiate. Burial will be in Combre Memorial Park.