Billie Delores Fatheree Brooks

Billie Delores Fatheree Brooks (Granny B, Sunshine Lady), age 95, who resided in Monroe, La passed away peacefully on June 8, 2025, after a short illness. Billie was born in Alexandria, La on February 5, 1930. Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home Sterlington Rd., Monroe, with Pastor Lane Thompson officiating. Visitation will be held from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the funeral home.

Billie reminisced of her early years as a ballerina and her love of spending time with her father on the railroad where he was employed. One of her first jobs was as an Office Manager at Monroe Regional Health Unit where she met Sam, her husband of 54 years. Billie and Sam traveled extensively all over the world. Because of her love for learning, she went to Northeast Louisiana State College where she completed her formal education with a Masters Plus 30 in Education, all while raising her family. Billie taught elementary grades and special education in the Ouachita School System for over 30 years. After retirement she returned to her passion for education where she was a substitute teacher for many more years. She was an active member of 1st Baptist Church in Monroe, La since childhood and enjoyed interacting with New Iona Presbyterians in her later years. Once Billie settled into retirement, she enjoyed snow skiing, traveling with friends, volunteering at the Council on Aging Center and volunteering long hours at St. Francis Hospital, playing with her beautiful flowers and bringing many back to life, spoiling her dog (Midnight), going on adventures with her best friend, Adriane and shopping at Dollar Tree. In her latter years, she was given the name, “Sunshine Lady” because of her joyful approach to life and was known to answer her phone saying, “Sunshine Department.”

Billie was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel O. Brooks Sr.; middle son, William Edward Brooks; father, Sidney Pierce Fatheree; mother, Juanita Foreman Fatheree; brothers, Sidney Pierce Fatheree, Jr., Mansell (Doc) Fatheree, and George Fatheree.

Billie greeted her youngest brother, James Ray Fatheree, in Heaven just hours after her passing. They will be laid to rest at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery.

She is survived by her oldest son, Samuel O. Brooks Jr.; her youngest son, Gary Allen Brooks Sr. (Mary); daughter-in-law, Mary Spurlock Brooks (surviving spouse of William Brooks); grandson, Gary Allen Brooks Jr.; granddaughter, Lauren Michelle Brooks; grandson, William Robert “Billy” Brooks; great- grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

We want to thank Adrianne and Diane, who Billie considered to be her best friends and all of her loving and respectful sitters who assisted and enjoyed her through recoveries from a couple of injuries during the past 4 years.

We want to thank Pastor Lane for his dedication, prayers and laughter while he visited Billie during her illness. We also want to thank St. Francis ICU nurses, staff and doctors who treated Billie with such respect and loving care.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.