Alyce Lorraine Brooks

Alyce Lorraine Brooks (nee Farinoli), 87, formerly of Jaffrey and Fitzwilliam, NH, died peacefully at the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton, NH on Friday, May 19, 2023.

She was born in Swanzey, NH, on October 20, 1935, to Altieri A. and Gertrude M. (Seim) Farinoli.

Alyce graduated from Keene High School in 1954, where she played in the band and continued her study of piano. She enlisted in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict and completed her Basic Training in Texas. She was stationed in Germany, where she served in the Signal Corps (USASC), and was awarded a Good Conduct medal for her service. Following her honorable discharge from the military, Alyce worked and lived in Keene and Fitzwilliam.

On July 10, 1965, Alyce married William Fuller Brooks, Sr., the love of her life, and moved to Jaffrey, NH. They raised their daughter there in KK Village. They were active square dancers with the Sunshine Twirlers and enjoyed traveling to various dancing events in New England. Alyce worked for many years at the Jaffrey Grade School and later in art enrichment for Monadnock Family Services, assisting with their Adult Care program. It was only later in life that she came to realize her gifts in using art to heal and cope with loss.

Alyce was an artist and a lover of nature. She wove rugs on a large 19th-century loom that she sold throughout southwest New Hampshire. She taught piano, painted landscapes, and enjoyed daily visits to Howard Memorial Park to watch the birds. She enjoyed reading English history and collected numerous books on artists, from Impressionists to American illustrators. She enjoyed visiting museums and learning new crafts, such as caning chairs, spinning wool, and drawing with pastels. Her interests also included the early decades of film, and she was an active member of film discussions at the Jaffrey Public Library. When not creating or appreciating art, she was watching the Red Sox.

Alyce was a faithful member of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Peterborough, NH, and found comfort in her Christian faith after the unexpected death of her husband in 1984. She was proud to be a female veteran as a member of the Jaffrey VFW Post 5613 and enjoyed participating in Jaffrey's annual Memorial Day parades.

Two brothers, Altieri J. Farinoli and Louis A. Farinoli, predeceased her.

Alyce is survived by her daughter, Darlene L. Brooks Hedstrom (Brooks) and her husband, Mark H. Brooks Hedstrom (Hedstrom) and their son, her beloved grandson, Silas William Brooks Hedstrom, of Attleboro Falls, MA. She is also survived by her nephew, Altieri J. Farinoli, and niece, Teresa Farinoli Pierson, and their children. She will be missed by her friends.

A Memorial Service to celebrate Alyce’s life will take place July 28, 2023, at 1:00 pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 280 Old Dublin Road, Peterborough, NH. Alyce will be laid to rest in the Village Cemetery in Fitzwilliam, NH.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution in Alyce’s name to the Monadnock Humane Society in West Swanzey.