Brooks K. Whittle of Seattle passed away on February 24, 2018. He was 89.
Brooks will be remembered for his love of golf, the 101 Club, his service to the Evans Scholars Foundation as well as other charitable pursuits, boating and playing the trumpet. He was a longtime member of, and served as president of both, Sand Point Country Club and Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle.
He was a member of the DKE house at the University of Washington, and was an avid supporter of UW basketball and football. His wife and in-laws shared their love of boating with him, and he and his wife kept a boat at the Seattle Yacht Club for years. He was a director of Western Golf Association from 1995-2014, for whom he also served as a vice president since 1999. He had a long insurance career, retiring from LaBow Haynes in 1994.
But perhaps Brooks will mostly be remembered for being the driving force behind raising funds for caddie scholarships for the Evans Scholars Foundation.
Each year, the Washington State Golf Association (WSGA), Oregon Golf Association (OGA), Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) and Western Golf Association (WGA) Directors conduct two first-class fundraising events – the Evans Cup of Washington and Evans Cup of Oregon – consisting of a day filled with golf during which current Evans Scholars caddie for participants, gourmet dinner, and upscale silent and live auction items. Funds at these Evans Cups are raised through sponsorships and the auction items, and each year they combine to raise more than a quarter-million dollars towards the scholarships.
At the 2012 Evans Cup of Washington, Brooks was honored for his support in almost single-handedly making the annual fundraisers what they have become today.
"I consider all of these kids my grandchildren," said Whittle, after receiving a standing ovation at the dinner. "To see so many kids be given an opportunity is a great thing, and that's what I've tried to do, just find some way to give them an opportunity to succeed."
It was announced at the 2012 dinner that the Evans Cup perpetual trophy, given to the winning team of the day's golf competition, will from now on be called the Brooks Whittle Trophy.
In 2005, Brooks received the WSGA George Holland Volunteer of the Year Award, for his monumental contributions to the region’s golf community.
Memorials can be made to Evans Scholars Foundation.
