Engineering was not a field populated by women in the 1940s but Mary graduated from Syracuse University (SU) with a degree in chemical engineering. SU is also where she met and married Tom Brooks. The couple arrived in Los Alamos in 1960 when Tom joined the lab. In 1961, Mary landed a job in HRL Division (Health Research) where she happily remained for the next 40 years. Mary's volunteer and board membership activities have supported many interests and causes such as the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Friends of the Senior Center, Retired Public Employees Association, Republican Women's Club, Los Alamos Women's Golf Association, Art Center at Fuller Lodge, Los Alamos Historical Society, United Church of Los Alamos, and more. Learning and participating are a daily practice for Mary who feels it's important to enjoy each day and every opportunity.

Written by T.J. Taub, copyright ©