Jerard Brooks Adkins, Jr.

Jerard Brooks Adkins, Jr., age 83, of Kettering, was welcomed into the arms of the Lord on Sunday, June 29, 2025. Brooks was born on April 4, 1942, to the late Mary and Jerard Brooks Adkins, Sr. in Oakwood, OH. He graduated from Oakwood High School in 1960 and continued his education at Ohio University, earning an associate's degree in communications. Brooks served his country in the Air National Guard for two years and briefly pursued a career in radio before founding his own marketing company, JBA Advertising Inc. in 1971, which he successfully ran until 2023.

Brooks had an idyllic childhood as an only child, enjoying the outdoors during family vacations in Michigan and spending time at his Grandma Mehlberth’s, near the University of Dayton campus. As a young boy he developed an enthusiasm for sports, photography, trains, and model railroads.

Brooks met the love of his life, Rosemarie Belna, at a doctor's appointment in Dayton where she worked as a nurse. They married at St. Teresa Catholic Church in Rockford, OH in 1968 and were blessed with two sons, Jason and Brian. In 1978, the family moved to Kettering and joined St. Charles Borromeo Parish, where he was an active member of the community for the remainder of his life.

A consummate family man, Brooks enjoyed family vacations in northern Michigan and supporting his sons in school, sports, and Boy Scouts. Given his passion for photography, it was common to find Brooks at an event, camera in hand, capturing special moments on film. He was thrilled when he could share those photos with others to value as treasured keepsakes.

An avid sports fan, Brooks enjoyed taking his family to college football and basketball games. He was a lifelong UD fan, holding basketball season tickets for over four decades and regularly watching Flyer football in Welcome Stadium. Miami University basketball was also special to Brooks. Over the years he developed cherished friendships with several of the coaches and players for whom he cheered, and he took great satisfaction from following their careers.

Throughout his adult life, Brooks was deeply involved in his community, volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul and driving homebound friends to appointments and events to help them stay connected. He was a member of the Dayton Optimist Club, Dayton Agonis Club, University of Dayton Athletic Boosters, and Knights of Columbus.

Later in life, Brooks adored his grandchildren, taking great pride in their athletic, academic, and artistic achievements. He watched every game, match, and recital that he could, following virtually when he couldn’t attend in person.

A man of high character, Brooks was recognized for his practicality, wisdom, sense of humor, empathy, and selflessness. His curiosity about others made Brooks a people-person who enjoyed making new acquaintances. An avid reader, he never failed to clip an article and mail it with a note to someone he thought would find it of interest. Always considerate, Brooks consistently tried to anticipate the needs of others and always went out of his way to help where he could. In disappointment, he was quick with words of encouragement and advice and in monuments of joy he was equally quick to congratulate and celebrate. A man of deep faith, Brooks embodied the Cardinal Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance, as well as the Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Brooks was deliberate, thoughtful, and resilient, maintaining his humor and stoicism in the face of Parkinson’s, dementia, and debilitating arthritis. At his core, Brooks was a kind and generous man who put others first.

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated caregivers from Touching Hearts—especially Kae, Terri, Amy, Nevaeh, Nikita, Michaela, and Tom—who provided unwavering support, care, and companionship to Brooks during the past seven months following Rose's passing. Their kindness and compassion brought comfort and dignity to Brooks in his final days, and their presence was a true blessing to our family.

In addition to his parents, Brooks was preceded in death by his beloved wife of fifty-six years, Rosemarie Adkins. Left to cherish his memory are his two sons, Jason (Tracy) Adkins of West Chester and Brian (Beth) Adkins of Cincinnati; six grandchildren, Isabella, Sophia, and Emma Grace Adkins of West Chester, and Ben, Joe, and Dan Adkins of Cincinnati; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Nick (Janice) Belna of Rockford; nieces, Christie Belna of Columbus and Jennifer Belna of Chicago, IL; cousin Jim (Bonnie) Heikes of Oakwood; and cherished lifelong friend Jim (Susan) Huber of Richmond, IN.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, July 11, at St. Charles Borromeo (4500 Ackerman Blvd., Kettering). Family will welcome friends and guests beginning at 10:00am, with services starting at 10:45am. For those unable to attend in person, please join in prayer and participate virtually at https://www.stcharles-kettering.org. Following mass, guests may join the funeral procession to Calvary Cemetery (1625 Calvary Ave., Dayton) for the Rite of Committal and burial. A luncheon will follow at Routsong Funeral Home in Centerville (81 N Main St.).

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Dayton, OH, in honor of Brooks’s service to the organization and his compassion for the families it serves.