WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Bill Brooks was the general manager at WPTV for 17 years. His heart for people left a mark on the community.
Before a career in broadcasting, Bill was a priest from Boston. He settled in West Palm Beach as a teacher and counselor at Cardinal Newman.
He left the priesthood, working at a crisis line started by Dr. Robert Alsofrom. Bill was the executive director there in the early 1970s. That crisis line is known today as 2-1-1. Sister Mary Frances, a nun, worked there.
"His administrative capabilities and most importantly his compassion towards people, his caring for people," Frances. "He was an original thinker. He thought out the box."
In 1972, Bill married Muffy Finnigan, a former nun. His love for people as a priest carried over when he started working at NewsChannel 5 in 1975 as the public service director, then the station's general manager.
He appeared in a station spot that promoted the Food for Families food drive in the 1980s.
Brooks saw a need in the community and started Food for Families in 1985. Even while collecting food, he did not shy away from jumping in and helping.
His love for people also showed behind the scenes with his employees — treating them like family. Kelley Dunn, a retired WPTV anchor, said he hired her.
"He knew everybody," Dunn said. "He not only knew everybody in the newsroom, he knew your full name, your dog's name, your spouse's name. He was just one of those people who really took the time to get to know his employees. That's why he felt like a family. He was literally the extension of your family."
Brooks retired in 1998, but as a faithful servant, he didn't stop helping the community. He turned his focus to politics several years ago as a Palm Beach Town Council member.
Kate Wentley, a producer during Brooks' tenure, shared what he meant to the station.
"Bill created a culture at this TV station that we were something of a family that is something for many of us still remains today!" Wentley said. "We forged friendships there we grew up together and many of us are still friends today, 40 years later which is remarkable and it goes back to the whole culture Bill Brooks created."
Brooks passed away at the age of 76 in 2010, losing his battle with lymphoma, but his legacy lives on.
