Obituary: ROBERT DAVID ROOKS
R. DAVID ROOKS Robert David Rooks, LTC US Army Retired, born June 3, 1936 and passed away on August 28, 2017.
David was born in Wilmington, NC. There he graduated from New Hanover High School. He was a 1959 graduate of the Citadel Military College in Charleston, SC.
David served as a U.S. Army combat aviator with the 1st Aviation Brigade for 3 tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He was one of the most decorated Army aviators of the war, with 29 air medals and other decorations for valor. After retirement from active duty, he worked in force protection at Kruezberg Kaserne in Zweibrucken, Germany for the U.S. Government in the European sector.
David was an avid traveler, art collector and wine connoisseur. He also loved football. In 2005, after moving to Ocean Springs, Mississippi he became a New Orleans Saints fan although he still enjoyed watching the Atlanta Falcons. He also enjoyed watching the Georgia Bulldogs and the Citadel Bulldogs. He also loved sitting on his back porch with his wife Dian and two dogs, Bounder and Buddy.
He is survived by his wife Dian Willhoite Rooks of Ocean Springs, MS; his two daughters, Cindy Rooks Welsh (Barrett) and Jennifer Rooks Johnson (Yancey) of Savannah, GA. His brother Malvyn Rooks (Patsy) of Wilmington, NC. His four grandchildren, Cooper Johnson, MacKenna Johnson, Amber Welsh (Ivano), Kelli deVegter (Wes) and four great grandchildren Alanna, Braeden, Luca and Violet. David was proceeded in death by his parents, Malvin L. Rooks and Ann Butler Rooks of Wilmington, NC. David was buried with full military honors at Biloxi National Cemetery, August 31, 2017