Velma Elena Patterson Brooks Gaston went to be with the Lord on Sept. 27, 2015 at her home in Fairhope, Ala.
She was born on Feb. 15, 1917 in Shavnavon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
She was preceded in death by husbands, Wendell Brooks, James E. Gaston; son, Robert Tomlin; parents, Kathleen Elizabeth (nee Crowder) and George W. Patterson; sister, Kathleen; and grandson, Timothy Gunn.
Survived by her daughter, Diane Marie Tomlin Gunn; and granddaughter, Cynthia Lynn Gunn of La Quinta, Calif.
She lived in Shavnavon until her family moved to Detroit, Mich. in August 1927. Her parents nicknamed her “Honey.”
She graduated from high school as class valedictorian at age 15, and later from the University of Michigan.
Velma worked for Ford Motor Co., and her office was down the hall from Henry Ford.
When the Mustang was in development, she rode in the prototype with Lee Iacocca driving.
At Ford she met and married Ford engineer Wendell Brooks. They both retired from Ford in 1965.
Moving 160 miles away from Dearborn to West Branch, Mich. where they built a home on 40 acres. Wendell and Velma became “snowbirds” in Gulf Shores, Ala. and later permanent residents. Wendell passed away in 1989.
Vel would take her beloved Ford car to a local dealership in Fairhope, Ala., where she met the owner, Jim Gaston. She fell in love with Jim’s sweet, kind heart and they married in July 1991 and they lived in Fairhope.
Jim passed away in 2003. Velma was always very proud of the Gaston family, and how Jim’s ancestors founded Fairhope.
An avid golfer in her adult life, Chicago Cubs baseball fan and New York Times crossword puzzle enthusiast, and later in life she enjoyed listening to Joel Osteen sermons on television.
“I have lived a good life many people are not as fortunate as I have been,” Velma to a friend in August 2015.
At her wishes, her body was donated to University of South Alabama Medical School, and there will be no memorial services.
Arrangements by Mack Funeral Home & Crematory, Highway 59, Robertsdale, Ala., www.mackfuneral.com.
