Ivan Brooks, 69, was born in Middlebury, Vermont, and grew up in Bristol, Vermont. Over the course of his life, Ivan traveled many roads and lived several different lives. From Vermont to South Florida and eventually to South Carolina, each chapter brought new adventures, new friends, and plenty of stories.

In South Florida, Ivan built a very successful mobile RV repair business. True to his nature, he could fix just about anything. Ivan had a gift for figuring things out, solving problems, and lending a hand. Over the years, he became the kind of person who could—and would—help anyone who needed it.

Eventually, Ivan decided he had enough of the South Florida rat race and traded South Florida for the quieter pace of South Carolina. There, on a quiet dead-end road, he settled into a life that suited him perfectly. He meticulously cared for his cats and his lawn, enjoyed living life on his own terms, and continued doing what he did best: making friends, having fun, and enjoying the simple things.

Although Ivan's life evolved greatly over his 69 years, many things remained constant: his passion for cats, cribbage, deer hunting, venison, a good crock pot meal, old westerns, Andy Griffith re-runs, Stevie Ray Vaughan, fishing, finding a good bargain, Bloody Caesars, and, most importantly, his friends and family. Ivan loved life and was always ready for a good time. His free-spirited—and sometimes unconventional—personality could be seen (and heard) from miles away.

Ivan was preceded in death by his sister, Jennifer, and his parents, Rita and Clarence.

He leaves behind his daughter, Sarah; his son, Tyler; his beloved grandchildren, Amaya and Gabe; his sister, Pam; his brother and sister-in-law, Eric and Denise; and many nieces, nephews and friends, whose lives were better, louder, funnier, and more memorable because Ivan was in them.

Ivan leaves behind wild nights, antique cars, river swims, sunsets on the deck, deer in the field, trout in the stream, good deals found when nobody else was looking, and stories that will undoubtedly be told for years to come.

Most importantly, he leaves behind love and laughter.

And that is exactly how Ivan would want to be remembered. Ivan wouldn’t want anyone shedding tears over him. He’d want us to remember him with a smile, a good story, a good sunset, and a drink in his honor.

Ivan's favorite mottos to keep his spirit near:

"If you’re going to be dumb, you gotta be tough"

"Some days you’re the bug and some days you're the windshield"

"It’s hard telling, not knowing"

And if you were lucky enough to play cribbage with the mastermind "see one, play one" as he skunked you over and over

Brown Funerals is assisting the family.