Martha Ann Lillian Phelps Brooks

Martha Ann Lillian Phelps Brooks, 95, of Charleston, South Carolina, passed away on Saturday, May 24, 2025, surrounded by her loving family and friends.

Born on August 17, 1929, in High Point, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Isabelle Nevilles and William Phelps.

Martha graduated from William Penn High School in High Point, North Carolina in 1948, and went on to graduate from Homer G. Phillips Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, MO as a registered nurse in 1951. She actively worked in her profession for more than 30 years before retiring. As a nurse, Martha worked in many capacities. Most noteworthy, she was the first African-American to work as a public health nurse in Indianapolis, IN and she was the first African-American migrant nurse for Madison County in the state of Indiana.

To know Martha was to know her love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This was something she shared and nurtured daily.

Martha, who was lovingly known as Mama Brooks, was a born humanitarian and community leader, and she viewed nursing as a career calling. She loved to share her knowledge and expertise in nursing with family, friends and the community.

MARTHA LOVED TO SING! She started singing in her church choir as a child. And she continued to sing in church as an adult. She, along with her daughter Lynnette, formed several gospel singing groups over the years. This included The Plantation Singers of Charleston, SC. She was 90 years old when she retired from The Plantation Singers but at the age of 95, she returned to singing with her daughter's new gospel singing group The Community Gospel Choir of Charleston, SC.

She leaves to cherish her memory, her daughter, Lynnette Diane Brooks-White; her son, Edward Lee Brooks; her granddaughters: Tadia Anne Lillian White, Tiffany Bellamy-Brock, Temeika Bellamy-Ingram (Warren) and Taneesha Bellamy-Smith (Bernard); her aunt, Simone Harris; her nieces: Linda Yvonne Nevilles Davis (MC), Angela Geraldean Robinson (Luther), Paula Tracy Brooks and Glenda Faye Shepard (Bobby); her nephews: Charles Nevilles, Jr., David Eugene Nevilles (Velvet); and Melroy Ervin, Jr. (Junetta); and her cousins: Helen Carrie Stephens (Johnny), Rene Willie Harris (Shannon) and Tammie Francine Hairston McCloud (Jerome).

She was a loving and caring great-grandmother, great aunt, great-great aunt, great-great-great aunt, and to her extended family which included Joseph Lamont Sutton (Jeannie) of Kernersville, NC; Dorothy McCray of Moncks Corner, SC and Laurel Knobloch of Albuquerque, NM; and many others, too numerous to name.

Martha is preceded in death by her grandparents; parents; her brothers, Charles Nevilles, Sr. and David Nevilles' her aunts, Nellie Chavis (Curtis) and Josephine Martin Smith (Willie); and her uncles, Walter Nevilles (Clara) and Willie Harris.

The location, date and time of the Celebration of Life Memorial Service is to be determined.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed and submitted online at mcalister-smith.com or by mail at P.O. Box 22562, Charleston, SC 29413.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral and Cremation, 2501 Bees Ferry Road, Charleston, SC 29414 (843) 722-8371.