Life story prepared by his loving family: DANA MICHAEL BROOKS, 74 of Rising Sun, MD, died on Monday, January 9, 2023 in Bel Air, MD. He was the beloved husband of Olena (Samko) Brooks, and they have shared 21 years of marriage. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two sons; Daniel Brooks, Eric Brooks, and his stepson with daughter-in-law, Yevgen and Eleonora. Born on January 20, 1948 in Baltimore, MD, he was the only child of William Brooks and Mary (Wentz) Brooks.

On December 5, 1967, Dana was drafted into the United States Navy and served on the USS New Jersey during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged on May 9, 1969 and was awarded the Bronze Star.

He attended Prince Georges Community College in Largo, Maryland and served as emcee for the school's Coffee House, which hosted several well-known music groups in the late sixties. He also attended Towson State University while continuing to work for the Sun papers in Washington, DC. Dana worked in Social Services for the State of Maryland for over 40 years. His skill in quickly assessing an individual's needs and providing access to the appropriate State programs helped many people in their time of need.

Dana enjoyed coaching local soccer and was well known in the Delta area for his support of the children's teams. For years, he could be found on Saturday or Sunday mornings and some evenings at the tennis courts at Beakes field. He was a competitive player and simply loved the sport.

With very little formal training, Dana's artistic ability and artwork improved through the years with images done in water colors, acrylics and finally, stained glass. He was meticulous in his creations and several folks were recipients of some of his work at Christmas time.

Dana enjoyed traveling to the mountains to ski; Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire was his favorite winter vacation destination. His love of nature and the enjoyment he experienced in being outdoors are evident in these trips and in his long stays at his cabin on the Susquehanna River.

His caring and selflessness for his family and friends knew no boundaries. He was, in many ways, a tough man to get to know, but he cared deeply for those close to him and would offer whatever he could in the form of guidance, advice, money, or physical help. His kindness will be missed by his family as well as numerous friends in the community.

A viewing will be held on Monday, January 16, 2023 from 6 until 8 pm at Harkins Funeral Home, Inc., 600 Main Street, Delta, PA. Further arrangements are pending at this time for a military burial in a veteran's cemetery. Please check back for updates.

Harkins Funeral Home, Inc., of Delta, PA has been entrusted with arrangements.