Mourners sign a placard bearing the picture of 2nd Lt. Donyal V. Brooks during a memorial service Thursday at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Brooks died in an automobile accident Jan. 21, leaving behind an active-duty husband and two young children. (Kent Harris / S&S)
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy — Friends and community members gathered Thursday to remember a 27-year-old Air Force officer who died in an automobile accident last week.
Second Lt. Donyal V. Brooks leaves behind an active-duty husband, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Brooks, and two young children. The youngest child, Nicholas Antonio II, was born Jan. 9 – just 12 days before the fatal accident.
Maj. Richard Nolan, commander of the 31st Contracting Squadron, gave an emotional tribute to one of his airmen.
“Her untimely death has rocked our squadron,” he said. “It’s simply too hard to put into words what she meant to us.”
Aviano was Donyal Brooks’ first assignment after earning her commission. She had entered the Air Force after graduating from high school in 1995.
She met her future husband at a newcomer’s briefing at Beale Air Force Base in California. The couple were married in 2000, and Dominique Antoinette, now 4, was born later that year.
Donyal left the service after her tour ended with the goal of getting a college degree and re-entering as an officer.
“She worked hard, impressed her bosses and earned a two-year ROTC scholarship,” Chaplain (Maj.) Jimmy Sanders told about 200 people gathered in the base chapel.
Sanders said by graduating from Charleston Southern University – while her husband was stationed at Charleston Air Force Base – Donyal Brooks achieved a goal partially inspired by her grandfather. John Evans served for more than 30 years before retiring as a technical sergeant. He originally joined the Army Air Corps that eventually became the Air Force.
Staff Sgt. Beth Caporaletti, a member of the 31st Communications Squadron with Nicholas Brooks, said Donyal was an inspiration for her hard work and desire to better herself.
“Donyal was such a good role model for women,” she said. “One for everyone really, but women especially.”
Caporaletti visited her in the hospital a few weeks ago and was surprised by how quickly she appeared to recover from giving birth.
“I just feel that I was so blessed to have her influence in my life,” Caporaletti said.
Donyal Brooks was born Oct. 6, 1977, in Columbia, S.C. Her parents, Darnell and Virene Evans, still live there. A memorial service will be held in Columbia before Brooks is buried in Tacoma, Wash.
A memorial fund has been established at Global Credit Union. Donations should be made payable to the “Donyal Brooks Memorial Fund.”
Donations can also be made in care of the 31st Contracting Squadron: 31CONS/LGC Unit 6102 Box 140 APO AE 09604-2140.
