Chester Lee Brooks

Chester Lee Brooks, 93, of Morgantown, passed away peacefully at home among family on October 29, 2026. Born January 15, 1933, in the Dakota coal camp in Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia, he graduated from Rivesville High School in 1950.

Chester followed his younger brother James, known as “Uncle Pat”, into the United States Navy in 1952. He served a four-year term in the Pacific stationed on Guam, among other places, and served on several salvage vessels including the U.S.S. Grasp and U.S.S. Sussex, where he learned welding – a trade he continued to use throughout his life and taught it to countless others through classes at the Monongalia County Vocational Technical Center. He was honorably discharged in 1956 and returned home to Fairmont.

Rather than follow his father in the coal mines, he chose to pursue a career in education. Chester graduated from Fairmont State College with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1961 and a Master of Arts from West Virginia University in 1966. In the fall of 1961, he accepted a one-year assignment to teach Social Studies at Morgantown High School. That temporary position led to a career at MHS during which he was Assistant Principal, Assistant Athletic Director, and continued to teach in the classroom until his retirement in 1989. He took a short break from MHS to serve as principal at Clay Battelle High School from 1971 to 1974. Never one to sit still after retirement, Chester became an Adjunct Professor at Fairmont State College for another 11 years and remained an active substitute teacher for years after that.

Chester’s lifelong love of baseball began in 1945 when his math teacher assigned him to keep up with the season statistics for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He took that assignment to heart and became a legend in baseball trivia, earning him the title “Mr. Baseball.” He and fellow educator Tom Hart revived the MHS baseball program in 1970 after more than a decade without a team. He was also one of the developers of Valley View Field in 1980. In 2014 he was inducted into the Morgantown High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester Morgan and Marguerite Brooks; brothers James “Pat” Brooks (Barbara) and Tim Brooks; and sisters Barbara Wilkerson (Don) and Jo Ellen Fink (Bob); his wife of more than 45 years Lois Brooks; and second wife Lucy Exe-Brooks of Lynnwood, Washington, where he resided from 2002 to 2010.

He is survived by his brother Larry Brooks (Juanita) and sister Linda Abruzzino (Mickey); his son Scott Brooks (Christin) in Knoxville, Tennessee; daughter Kimberley Brooks of Morgantown; grandchildren Matthew Swiger (Abby), Samantha Brooks, Isaac Cagle, Isaiah Cagle; great grandson Lucas Swiger; nieces and nephews and their families, all of whom knew him as “Uncle Pete.”

He also leaves behind a legacy in the community and countless stories to be shared.

The public is invited to a Celebration of Life at the Morgantown High School gymnasium, 109 Wilson Ave., Morgantown, WV, on Sunday, November 22, 2026, beginning at 3 p.m.

Per his wishes, Chester was cremated and will be laid to rest with military honors alongside Lois at Beverly Hills Memorial Garden in Westover with Hastings Funeral Home handling the arrangements.

The family extends gratitude to the compassionate staff of Amedisys Hospice and Home Instead for their guidance, care, and support. In Chester’s honor, please consider making a donation to one of his favorite charities, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital www.stjude.org.

 Send condolences to the family online at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com