Tennie Helena Brooks born March 14, 1939 passed away peacefully at her home on August 26 after a long courageous battle with dementia.

Tennie grew up in Holland, where her grace and spirited nature inspired many. She pursued a career in nursing and worked as a resident nurse on a cruise ship traveling the Rhine River in Europe.

Her compassion for others and adventurous spirit eventually carried her across the ocean to America in the early 1970s. In California, Tennie found her calling as an OB nurse in the Turlock area, supporting countless families through some of life’s most important moments.

In 1995 she and her beloved husband Hank Brooks moved to Humboldt County. Tennie went on to devote nearly three decades as a lead registered nurse at the Northern California Community Blood Bank, where her steady hand and kind heart touched colleagues and donors alike.

Beyond her profession, Tennie found joy in sewing, theater, music, crafts and gardening, avidly supporting the arts locally. She was a frequent volunteer at the Humboldt Botanical Garden, where her love for nature and flowers brighten the lives of all who worked alongside her.

Tennie was preceded in death by her husband, Hank. She will be remembered with love and gratitude by her friends and colleagues, and all who were fortunate to know her. Her legacy is one of compassion, resilience, and quiet strength.

A memorial will be held at the College of the Redwoods Humboldt Botanical Garden on Saturday October 4, at 2 p.m.

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