Obituaries

John Richard Brookes, Jr.

Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Ithaca, New York, age 80, passed away Monday, February 17, 2025, at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. He was born March 12, 1944, in Caledonia, New York, the son of John R. and Dorothy (Bidwell) Brookes.

John graduated from Harvard University in 1970, with his A.B. Degree in Biochemistry, with a focus in Thermodynamics. He collaborated on projects at MIT and Stanford University. John loved inventing things and solving problems. He was a principal in a startup that went public in 1975, with Southwall Technologies on the stock exchange. He developed a neural network application for breast cancer surgery. Described at the National Institutes of Health, this was John's first neural network artificial intelligence application in medicine.

Rosemary Alexander-Jones

of Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Port Huron, Livonia, West Bloomfield, and Canton/Plymouth, age 90, died Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at Chelsea Retirement Community. She was born November 12, 1934, in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of William & Sadie Flowerday (Tapley).

Rosemary grew up in Michigan. She earned her master’s degree in early childhood education from Oakland University and taught at Isbister Elementary School in the Plymouth/Canton public schools for 27 years. Rosemary was an active member of the Plymouth First United Methodist Church from 1985 to 2016, and the Chelsea First United Methodist Church since 2016. She enjoyed crafts of many kinds and was a talented pianist.

Ruby Marie Sams

of Grass Lake, Michigan, formerly of Harrison, age 76, went to be with the Lord Sunday, February 16, 2025, at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital. She was born August 17, 1948, in Lansing, Michigan, the daughter of Earl Clair and Donna Belle Mae (McCluth) VanNatter.

Ruby worked for Pilot Industries in Dexter, for many years. She attended Page Avenue Baptist Church in Jackson, where she was baptized in 2010. Ruby enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes, camping, doing puzzles, dancing, and listening to country music. She loved her pets, spending time with her family, and having family cookouts. Ruby will be remembered fondly as feisty and defiant to the end.

Genendal Kornexl

of Chelsea, Michigan, age 84, died Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at her home in Chelsea. She was born April 6, 1940, in McDougal, Arkansas, the daughter of Silas Robert and Claudeen (Herring) Bolen.