Gail Heyner Brooks, 71, of Bel Aire, Kansas, passed away at home on September 5, 2026, with her daughter, Shannon, by her side.

Born December 22, 1954, Gail lived a life marked by service, adventure, curiosity, and an unwavering willingness to try something new. She was strong, funny, intelligent, creative, resourceful, and perhaps above all else, always learning.

Gail grew up in Willingboro, New Jersey, and later made her way to Northern Virginia, where she met the love of her life, Halbert “Pete” Brooks Jr.  Pete was a mechanic who taught Gail how to fix things, and the two became not only husband and wife, but close friends. They were married for 33 years.

Gail served in the United States Army, stationed at Vint Hill in Virginia. After her military service, she joined the Peace Corps before beginning a 30-year career as a Department of Defense civilian with the 1st IO Command - Intelligence Operations in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She eventually retired after three decades of service.

Retirement, however, was never going to mean sitting still.

Gail became immersed in whatever interested her next. She worked at Old Bust Head Brewing Company in Vint Hill, became a yoga instructor, completed triathlons and marathons, and continued exploring new ways to challenge herself and help others. She taught yoga, Pilates, stability, chair yoga, water Tabata, laughter yoga, and more. She was constantly learning, attending trainings, researching new ideas, and finding new ways to share what she learned.

And Gail did not simply teach fitness. She taught people to believe they were capable of more.

She had a gift for making people laugh while making them work harder than they thought they could. Her classes were filled with stories, trivia, jokes, creative exercises, unusual warmups like “Marching Ants,” and her famous “Daily Dozen.” She could turn almost anything into an adventure.

She was also never one to accept something simply because someone told her it was true. Gail wanted the facts. She asked hard questions, did her own research, and famously refused to “drink the Kool-Aid.” If she didn’t know something, she would look it up, learn it, understand it, and then explain it to someone else.

Her curiosity was contagious.

She encouraged people to step outside their comfort zones, to find their edge, to become “comfortably uncomfortable,” and most importantly, to just try. She pushed friends into triathlons, yoga trainings, bike rides, and countless other adventures. She herself was always willing to try something new, even when she wasn’t sure how it would turn out.

That adventurous spirit came with plenty of stories.

There were balance boards she attempted to “surf,” a stand-up elliptical bike that she proudly let others try, the Great Pumpkin bike ride, military-themed triathlons, yoga trainings in Rhinebeck, meditation teacher training, and countless adventures with friends. There were also plenty of laughs along the way, including the kind that happen when things don’t go quite according to plan.

Gail had an extraordinary ability to make people feel seen, encouraged, and capable. Former students and friends remember her not only for what she taught them, but for the way she changed their lives. She helped people become stronger, healthier, more confident, and more willing to challenge themselves. Some of her students experienced profound changes in their health, while others simply left her classes laughing and feeling a little more alive.

She was generous with her knowledge and her time. If someone needed help, Gail showed up. She fixed things. She figured things out. She helped neighbors without being asked and never expected anything in return. When a neighbor needed a driveway cleared after a heavy snow, Gail simply brought out her tractor and did it. She wouldn’t accept payment, although she happily accepted a cup of hot chocolate.

That was Gail.

If there was a problem, she wanted to know how to fix it. If there was a challenge, she wanted to try it. And if someone needed help, she was there.

In 2018, Gail moved to Kansas to be closer to Shannon. The two lived only about five miles apart, and their relationship was much more than that of mother and daughter. They were best friends.

Gail was endlessly proud of Shannon and loved being part of her life. She encouraged her daughter to take chances, try things she wasn’t sure about, get outside her comfort zone, and believe in herself. Gail had a way of pushing Shannon forward while always being there to catch her if she fell.

She also embraced being a Nana.  To her grandchildren, Preston, Addison, and Joanna, Gail was the fun, adventurous Nana who was always willing to get down on the floor and build Legos, go on bike rides, try out a new gadget, or get involved in whatever they were doing. She loved watching their sports and being part of their lives. She was the grandmother who made ordinary moments into memories.

Gail was also the “cool mom,” not just to Shannon, but to generations of Shannon’s friends. She welcomed teenagers into her home, took them places, went to concerts with them, played games with them, and somehow always seemed to be one step ahead of them. Many of those kids grew up carrying memories of Gail as someone who made them feel welcome and loved.

She loved her family fiercely. She talked about them often, shared their stories, and took immense pride in the people they were becoming.

Gail was one of a kind.

She had an infectious laugh, a quick wit, a dry sense of humor, and a personality that could fill a room. She wore crazy T-shirts, proudly sported her purple “Gail” barefoot shoes, loved trying the newest gadgets, and could go down a research rabbit hole about practically anything.

She was a woman who never really stopped moving, learning, questioning, creating, or giving.

To the people who knew her, Gail was described as a love giver and a change maker. A strong woman. A badass. A mentor. A teacher. A friend. A neighbor. A wife. A mother. A Nana.

But to Shannon, she was Mom.

And the greatest gift Gail gave her daughter was not any single lesson, accomplishment, or piece of advice. It was the example of a woman who kept going, kept learning, kept trying, and never allowed fear or uncertainty to keep her from experiencing life.

Gail often lived by a simple philosophy: “The worst thing you can do is not try.”  

She didn’t just say it.   She lived it.

Gail is survived by her husband of 33 years, Halbert “Pete” Brooks Jr.; her daughter, Shannon; her grandchildren, Preston, Addison, and Joanna; and her father, Robert Heyner. She was preceded in death by her mother, Margaret Louise Shoreys.

Her impact will live on in the people she taught, the people she helped, the friends she challenged, the neighbors she showed up for, the family she loved, and especially in the daughter she was so proud of.

Keep learning. Keep laughing. Keep giving. Keep pushing past your edge. And, above all else, just try.

That would be a very Gail way to leave the world.

Baker Funeral Home Valley Center - Condolences may be left for the family at www.bakerfhvc.com