Brookes Marshall Morin

September 22, 1949 – May 22, 2024

In the cool ripples of the Missouri River on a spring morning, Brookes Marshall Morin left this world the way he lived it—immersed in the beauty of the outdoors and in pursuit of the perfect cast. Born on September 22, 1949, in Hanover, New Hampshire, Brookes spent his 74 years following the rhythm of rivers, the pulse of the seasons, and the call of the wild.

The son of Dr. Lawrence J. and Barbara A. Morin, Brookes grew up in the shadow of Dartmouth College, a boy who learned early to read the world like water, finding patterns others missed. His first lessons came from the waterfall on Mink Brook, where, as a boy of six, he pulled trout from the pools with worms. Later, the fly rod became his companion, its rhythmic motion a kind of prayer that would guide him throughout his life.

Brookes excelled in alpine skiing, soccer, tennis, and golf, his athleticism a reflection of his restless, determined spirit. At Holderness School, he honed his skills on New England’s icy slopes and earned his place at the Junior Nationals in ski racing. Soccer, however, held a special place in his heart. At Brown University, he became one of the team’s top scorers, earning All-New England honors and savoring every goal—none more than a hat trick against his hometown Dartmouth team, played in front of family and childhood friends.

But Brookes’s true genius lay not in competition but in connection. He saw life not in triumphs but in moments—those delicate, fleeting threads that bind us to one another and to the natural world. After graduating from Brown he left the east coast to fish the waters of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he met his wife, Susan Little, and where the trout first began to take on names and personalities in his mind. Many who fished alongside him in Montana affectionately called him “The Trout Whisperer.” They were in awe of his ability to recognize a fish he had caught before, greeting it like an old friend before releasing it back into the water.

His days in Montana, beginning in 1979, were filled with work that spoke to his sense of justice and compassion. He served as an auditor, a city manager, and later, a leader at Helena Industries, where he created opportunities for those society often overlooked. In between, he coached soccer teams and taught children to fish, to kick the perfect knuckleball, to look up into the trees and name the birds that sang their songs.

In his life, Brookes found beauty in the wild and in the mundane. As a birder, he was gifted with rare finds—the Blackburnian warbler in Wyoming, the Prothonotary warbler in Montana. As a grandfather, he delighted in choosing books for his grandchildren, signing them “Gampa Books,” each gift a quiet testimony to his belief in the power of stories.

His love of fishing carried him far, to the streams of New Zealand and back to the waters of Montana, always returning to the rhythm of a fly rod and the companionship of friends who shared his reverence for the rivers. Those who knew him speak of his gentleness, his wit, and his profound wisdom—words that, like his cast, were few but always well placed.

Brookes is preceded in death by his parents and his infant son, Michael, whose brief life left an indelible mark. He is survived by his children, David (Brit) Morin and Laura (Dave) Holien; his grandchildren, Leif and Emmi Holien and Ansel, Austin, and Lumi Morin; his brother, Larry (Peggy) Morin; and nieces Abby (Brian) McNally and Jennifer Morin.

To his children and grandchildren, Brookes passed on the lessons of a life well-lived: to respect all living things, to find wonder in the smallest streams and the highest peaks, and to stay true to themselves, no matter the current.

The rivers of Montana will carry his memory forward, flowing endlessly toward the horizon.

Those wishing to honor Brookes’s life may do so by donating to the Helena Youth Soccer Association, the Great Divide Ski Team, or the New Hampshire Audubon Society. And, if you find yourself in Helena, visit the FireTower Coffee House, order a Brookes Mocha, and share a story with a stranger.

A celebration of his life was held this summer, where friends and family gathered, as he would have wished, in the Montana forest under the big sky.