Athens NEWS Associate Editor
The longtime deputy director of The Athens County Board of Elections died Friday at Ohio Health OâBleness Hospital.
Penny Lynn Brooks, 68, served on the Board of Elections since 1973. The exact cause of her death is unknown, but John Haseley, the Democratic member of the Board of Elections and chair of the Athens County Democratic Party, said she had recently been diagnosed with cancer. He wasnât able to provide further details about her illness.
âHer extended Democratic family is heartbroken,â Haseley said.
Brooks, a Democrat, was previously awarded by the Ohio Senate with having the most years of public service with the Board of Elections, according to her obituary in The Athens Messenger. She was also in the past granted the âlifetime achievementâ award from the Athens County Democratic Party, the Athens County Democratic volunteer of the year, and the Ohio election official volunteer of the year.