Santa Cruz

William Rawlings “Bill” Brooks III passed away on September 6, 2023, from complications due to Melanoma Cancer, he had just turned 80. Bill is preceded in death by his Father Richard Kenneth Brooks Sr, Mother Donia Mae Snoddy, Brother Richard Kenneth Brooks Jr, Sister Mary Lee Telles and Brother Jerry Brooks.

Bill was born in Omaha, Nebraska June 12, 1943, lived in Lincoln and Hastings Nebraska before moving to Pacific Grove California. When Bill was seven years old he contracted polio and was put in the SF Children’s Hospital for ten months. Missing a lot of school, he stayed back in the third grade to catch up. The family soon moved to San Jose where he attended Linda Vista elementary school and Pala Junior High School. The family bought a home in Scotts Valley so that Bill could spend all four years at Santa Cruz High School, graduating in 1962.

After High School graduation Bill spent a short time working at Dans Paint shop and three years at Sylvania Electronics where he learned to sharpen and handle administrative skills. Bill left Sylvania and went on to continue his education at Cabrillo Junior College, graduating from San Jose State University majoring in accounting and human relations with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1971. Upon graduation in July 1971 Bill was hired at UCSC to be the first person “College Bursar” to organize and start College VIII to become the Environmental Studies College. Bill hired the entire non-academic college staff and got the operation up and running smoothly before students attended that fall, continuing to run the entire administrative and financial operation for College VIII from 1971 to 1979 when he then decided to go into Real Estate Sales full time starting Brooks Properties January 1979 in Capitola California. Having a very active career listing and selling homes, commercial and acreage properties all over Santa Cruz, Bill became interested in development. Becoming a partner with Don Brose, Bill started his property development career building 13 homes, including his personal residence, in Pasatiempo.

Bill became President of the Pasatiempo Homeowners’ Association where he was the driving force that developed the attractive entrance to Pasatiempo. In the 1990’s Bill became so involved with development that he ceased selling and focused on development completing several condominiums, homes, and subdivisions all over the County.

If you know Bill at all you know he has an active interest in collecting and driving classic and exotic cars. His friends kid him that he doesn’t keep any of his cars more than a year or so moving onto the next best prized car to drive and enjoy. Bill is a true car hobbyist and has exhibited cars at various shows and Concourse de Elegance throughout California for over forty years.

Bill has a very stable loving home life, first married to Janet Wilson, now married to Jing Lan. Bill has lived at a fantastic bay and city view property and enjoys entertaining his friends and family. Bill will be cremated and laid to rest at Santa Cruz Memorial Park in the Mariposa Garden area. Bill says he has a great sunny spot, a double niche for him and his wife Jing.

Bill’s service and interment will be a combined event with his older brother Richard and restricted to family. A “public welcome” “Celebration of Life” will be held on September 30th at 3:00 at the Santa Cruz Elks Lodge, 150 Jewell Street.