Donald Leroy Brooks, 84, of Hatfield, a retired laboratory technician in chemical engineering, died May 1.

Born May 31, 1933 in Holyoke, he received his GED from Greenfield Community College. He joined UMass Amherst in 1970, working as a technical assistant in the chemical engineering department. He retired in 1998.

He was a Navy veteran during the Korean War.

He leaves his wife of 64 years, Mathilda “Millie” (Dorsch) Brooks; his sister Betty Jean Gagnon; and his children Peter Brooks, Marie Laplante, Linda Lastowski, Michael Brooks, Christopher Brooks, David Tatro and their spouses.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the USS Salem Naval Museum, payable to USS Salem, Bob Freeman, 3 Nevens St., Hudson, NH 03051.