John Richard Brookes, Jr.

John Richard Brookes, Jr. of Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Ithaca, New York, age 80, passed away Monday, February 17, 2025, at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. He was born March 12, 1944, in Caledonia, New York, the son of John R. and Dorothy (Bidwell) Brookes.

John graduated from Harvard University in 1970, with his A.B. Degree in Biochemistry, with a focus in Thermodynamics. He collaborated on projects at MIT and Stanford University. John loved inventing things and solving problems. He was a principal in a startup that went public in 1975, with Southwall Technologies on the stock exchange. He developed a neural network application for breast cancer surgery. Described at the National Institutes of Health, this was John’s first neural network artificial intelligence application in medicine. John developed software for a manufacturer of missiles. This was shown at the Army Missile Command in Alabama. He worked at MIT on architectural materials to store heat; at Kumahira, he worked on artificial intelligence to develop software for money transfer; and for Toyota, he created software for auto shading cars. Most recently, he worked in artificial intelligence in medicine. John remodeled his own home. As a former Boy Scout and an EMT, John used his skills in Haiti to help after the earthquake. John enjoyed reading.

John is survived by his friend, Joyce Donner; and stepsister, Maud (David) Pilkington Easter. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Walter Pilkington; and sister, Barb Brookes.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at Cole Funeral Chapel in Chelsea. The family will receive friends before the service from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Republican National Committee, https://www.gop.com/.