Brooks was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 14, 1968. The family lived in Prairie City, Iowa. They moved to Newark, Illinois, in 1969, then to Belmond in 1970. He started school in the Belmond Schools before the family moved to Anita, Iowa, when he was in the fourth grade. In 1984 they returned to Belmond. Brooks graduated from Belmond High School in 1986, attended Iowa State University, earning a bachelor's degree in Theater. He then attended the Western Illinois University Theater Master's program.
At the completion of his Master's degree at WIU, Brooks - along with several of his friends -moved to Chicago and created the Wax Fruit Theater Company, beginning their adventure into the unknown. After a few years of production, the company disbanded and following several years of corporate restaurant management, Brooks was ready to leave Illinois and return to Iowa.
He enjoyed being back with his family and in 2014 found a new home with the Iowa River Players group. He enjoyed their presentations and the company, and it gave him the opportunity to get back onstage. He enjoyed the experience and the friendships that he made there.
Brooks' smiles, laughter, kindness and love will be missed by all, especially his father and mother, James and Carolyn (Caye) Chelesvig, his sister, Shelley Chelesvig, and nephews Chandler Bachman-Chelesvig and Jameson Bachman-Chelesvig, all of Belmond, IA.
Text taken primarily from the obituary registered in the Belmond Independent July 3 2016.
