Alden West Brooks, 86, passed away December 16, 2010 in Springfield, Missouri. Alden was born July 3, 1924, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Walter Thompson Brooks and Ethel (West) Brooks. He received a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in 1946. While at Purdue, he met his future wife, Dolores "Dee" Blake. Upon graduation, Alden took a job with Gates Corporation in Denver. He married Dee on June 15, 1947, and she took a job teaching in a Denver high school. They moved several times before settling in Springfield, Missouri, in 1960, where Alden designed automotive fan belts at the facility formerly known as Springday and now called Carlisle Power Transmissions. He became a Professional Engineer and was responsible for ten patents. Perhaps his most famous invention was the Top Cog fan belt, which was popular with NASCAR drivers and is still a mainstay in the fan belt industry. He retired in 1986. Alden was an Eagle Scout and always enjoyed sports and the outdoors. While in Denver, Alden served as a Boy Scoutmaster, and he and Dee took up mountain climbing and snow skiing. They became members of the Colorado Mountain Club and the Gates Outing Club. Together they climbed most of the mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet tall, and Alden led many of the groups' climbs. Alden also loved boating, whether in a canoe or motorboat, and spent many happy weekends at Table Rock Lake. He and Dee were avid Lady Bear fans, and always had season passes. Alden and Dee were charter members of the Brentwood Christian Church, where he served as an elder and as financial secretary Alden's older sister, Martha Allis, died in 2009. He is survived by his wife, Dee, of Springfield, Missouri; daughter, Barbara of Lakewood, Colorado; daughter, Connie, of San Marcos, Texas; daughter, Cindy, of Castle Rock, Colorado; grandson, Justin Brooks, of Castle Rock, Colorado; and grandson, Michael McLerran, of San Marcos, Texas. Alden was a loving man, who was, in turn, greatly loved by his family and friends. He will be sorely missed. A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m., Monday, December 20, in Brentwood Christian Church, 1900 East Barataria St., with Senior Minister Dr. Phil Snider and Associate Minister Emily Bowen officiating under the care of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite charity or to the OTC Foundation, Ozarks Technical Community College, 1001 E. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield, MO 65802.