Former Hamilton County Commissioner and Democratic leader John Allen Brooks has died, commissioners said Wednesday.
An attorney and stockbroker, Brooks served on the county commission for one term from 2006 to 2010. He also previously chaired the Hamilton County Democratic Party. More recently, Brooks ran in 2022 for election to the office of Hamilton County district attorney, campaigning on legalizing marijuana usage and combating crimes against children. He lost the race to current District Attorney Coty Wamp.
Brooks’ longtime friend, Terry Lee, said Brooks died early Tuesday following a seizure.
Brooks spent his life concerned with helping the vulnerable, Lee said in a phone interview Wednesday. Lee said Brooks’ experience as a guardian ad litem — tasked with safeguarding children’s interests — early in his career showed a consistent aspect of Brooks’ character: his willingness to serve others without seeking something in return. Brooks also worked on a voluntary basis with organizations offering support to people with mental illnesses.
Hamilton County officials said they mourned Brooks’ unexpected passing. Commissioner Steve Highlander, who said the friendship between his family and Brooks’ stretched back nearly a century, marked Brooks’ death publicly during Wednesday’s commission meeting.
“No matter what political party someone’s in, I think we need to appreciate the service they give to this county and the government,” Highlander, R-Harrison, said.
“Please keep his family in your prayers and thoughts,” Highlander said.
“We didn’t let political differences come between friendships,” he said in a Wednesday phone interview.
Commissioner David Sharpe, D-Red Bank, who now represents the area Brooks did, said during Wednesday’s meeting that he’d valued Brooks as a person and public figure.
“I wanted to express my appreciation for his leadership, mentoring and the insight that he assisted me with,” on county business, Sharpe said. He’d spent time with Brooks as recently as Monday night, he said.
“It’s a loss to our community,” Sharpe added. “He was a great man.”
Contact Mariah Franklin at mfranklin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.