Aletta Brooks

Aletta E. Mildred Brooks

On March 25, 1957 Aletta E. Mildred Brooks was born to Clarence & Mildred Brooks in Preston Nova Scotia. She would be their tenth though not their last. Proceeded by her fore mentioned deceased parents, her brothers: Murray, and Calvin, her sisters: Lavonne, & Claudia and her eldest son Iren. Aletta was Known as (“Ally”, or) A.L.E. by friends and family alike. She spent her first 17 years excelling at both home and school life tending to home chores and younger siblings in the rural community. She is survived by her siblings Stevie, Patricia, Reid, Katherine, Basil, Nisaa, Martin, Winston, Derrick, sister-law Pat, & Blois. Children: Kurtis, Paulina, Eunique & Kevin, and grandchildren Lyric, Dominance, Liana, & Nukumi. Her early years granted her many friends and fond memories living in Preston and at times Spryfield. This youngest girl was an eccentric who loved to be the life of the party and always aimed to set herself apart from the rest, while truly valuing and appreciating the whole. Aletta loved, respected and honoured being a Brooks, which is a pride she passed on to her children. Though she had this passion for her home in her heart nothing could dissuade her from the allure of the big city. She would try life out in Chicago and later Montreal before finally landing herself in the place she’d call home for the longest portion of her life Toronto. Aletta used her bold Brooks features as a statement, winning pageants.

It was in Montreal that she met long time partner and the father of her two sons Neri Herrera. Together these two set out to right the wrongs of their day with their social activism among the “Black Action Defence Committee” (or BADC). After moving to Toronto the two would have sons Iren, & Kurtis (previously Tren). When the relationship soured she was pregnant with Kurtis and in Humber College where she graduated with honours. She began a short lived career in media journalism as a local reporter. It was in these years that Aletta would find new love which opposed stereotypes and challenged convention in James Cunningham who would help her complete her family by welcoming her youngest child and daughter Eunique. Unsatisfied with her career choice, Ally went back to school at York University in the mid-90’s with the aim to develop racialized youth, taking “Early Childhood Development” with the intent to be an early-childhood psychologist, however early in this endeavour tragedy would strike her own first born when Iren’s breath was taken away from him, and subsequently the whole family in early 1997. Naturally this was more than just a set back for Aletta she would never be the same again.

Though deterred for several years Aletta would eventually get back on her goals altering her major towards trauma counselling aiming to help other families find their way through the grief she too would struggle with for the rest of her life. Ally would face many challenges and adversaries for the rest of her years. Including an underdog case against a major top six Canadian bank which she was the first solo individual to win such a court case in Canadian history. She prided herself on being an advocate for the little guy, frequently taking on behemoths in cases of injustice. Aletta continued her social advocacy in various forms throughout her long pursuit of her masters and ultimately psychologists status, helping friends and family on the personal front along the way. In her final days she aimed to keep her condition quiet as she drew strength from the smiles of friends and family, and wanted nothing more but to laugh and sing in every party and sought a smile on every face as she new it to be a powerful medicine with which she aimed to heal us all. On Tuesday June 23, 2026 psychologists, sister, mother, and Grandmother Aletta Brooks, finally passed away at home in her bed surrounded by family. At 69 Aletta passed. Aletta’s various degrees speak to her life dedicated to the love of knowledge and healing the human mind, and the joy she spread through her infectious eccentricity is our gift and reminder that “variety is the spice of life”.

Click here to view service