Shirley Ruth Brookins

Shirley Ruth Brookins, age 69, a resident of the District of Columbia departed this world on December 6, 2015 after a long battle with cancer. She was born on June 9, 1946, in Benton, Mississippi. Shirley was the only daughter of Edgar Sr. and Annie Alma Brookins who predeceased her. She is survived by her loving brothers John Allen and Edgar Jr. Brookins. She is also survived by her beloved sons, Flavius and Marcus Galiber, daughter-in-law Stephanie Galiber, grandchildren Madison, Annabella, Zack, Andy, Tyler, her Aunt Versie Mae Johnson, her long-time friend and companion W. Eric Cloud, and a host of nephews, nieces,  relatives and friends. After spending her formative years on the family farm in Yazoo County, when she reached her mid-teens, her parents sent her to live with her uncle Lionel Brookins in Gary, Indiana to remove her from the segregated south and have a better educational opportunity.  She didn’t want to leave her family, but farm work was not her calling. Shirley was a gifted singer which earned her a scholarship at Howard University in 1964.  As a music major, she befriended and performed with many talented R&B musicians.  She pledged and was an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc. Shirley graduated from Howard with a Bachelor of Arts in 1968. Shirley met fellow Howard classmate Flavius (Chip) Galiber, Jr. and married him in 1969. Although the marriage ended in divorce, two children, Flavius and Marcus, were born of that union. Shirley was extremely proud of her sons and their personal and professional accomplishments.  They were likewise very attentive and supportive of their mother. She loved her daughter-in-law as well, but her grandchildren held special places in her heart. Her very warm and jovial personality brought her a life of many friends and acquaintances; she was filled with fun and laughter for everyone who came within her presence. Shirley and her family initially lived in Panama in the mid 70’s, where she cared for her sons and their beloved pets Baron (a black Labrador Retriever) and El Cid (a Yellow-Headed Amazon parrot).  Even today, when one hears El Cid speak, you hear Shirley’s voice and infectious laugh.  While living in Panama, Shirley also modeled and dazzled crowds with her beauty and flair for fashion. Upon returning to the United States, Shirley was hired by her mother-in-law, Yetta Galiber, to work at the Information, Protection and Advocacy Center for Handicapped Individuals (IPACHI), the leading advocacy nonprofit organization in the District of Columbia. Shirley rose to the position of Deputy Director. Shirley left IPACHI in 1990, but remained an advocate for the downtrodden the rest of her life. After departing IPACHI, she used her gifts for speaking endlessly on the phone and her powers of persuasion to become an entrepreneur. Among several ventures, her most successful involved purchasing, renovating, and renting houses in the District of Columbia and Baltimore to the disabled and homeless at rents below the market rate that often sacrificed profitability. For the past five or so years, she has been involved in building and operating hydroponic and aquaculture farming systems around the country.