In Memoriam: Sara Brookfield

reprinted with permission from the December 2020 issue of the WDCR Straightpipe newsletter

By Janet Toland

SCCA lost a friend and a part of our family. Sara Brookfield, 69, of Wardensville, West Virginia, passed away Saturday morning following a head on collision near her home. Her husband, Bob Brookfield, another long time SCCA volunteer, remains in serious condition in Winchester Medical Center.

Sara was born in Morgantown, WV on October 25, 1951. She graduated from high school in Venice, Florida. This may have been where she developed her love of the water, as our little Sara once held a Masters License for up to 100-ton vessels. She talked often of the time she sailed, solo, from Port Annapolis, Maryland to Florida. Adventures were her favorite, whether it be a walk in the woods or a trip to Alaska – she loved them all.

She loved life and was always smiling. If asked how she was, she was “Fabulous” and her smile was infectious. She became an SCCA member in 1993 after finding the love of her life. She would say he was one of the “Good Guys.” She was always ready to help, and was a flagger in the beginning. As her knees started to give out, she worked in Timing and Scoring, and then on to registration, also willing to lend a hand and help out. She was a member the Atlantic Road Racing Club (MARRC) Safety Team, and served as a member of the Board and Treasurer for 2 X 4 Safety Service, a group providing flagging services to clubs at Summit. She may have even driven a school bus in Virginia before Bob retired and they moved to West Virginia.

Sara did not judge people on looks, she looked into their eyes and saw the heart. She became an avid crafter and made cards. If you ever received a card from her, it was hand made for you and a lot of thought had been put into it. She was always willing to sit and listen to a problem, never judging. She did enjoy a good joke, even if it was on her.

She was active in her Church as time allowed. She and Bob had shifted their home region to North Carolina Region, and were awarded the Workers of the Year award in 2018 for their support of the NCR Road Racing Program. They would still return and help out at Summit Point before eventually retiring in September of this year.

As one young man who knew Sara and Bob well put it, “She was an incredibly special and caring person.” She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.