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There's Peter on the left and that's Gary Von Euer sitting next to him. Peter and Gary met in high school and became life long friends, discussing politics, ethics, life decisions, and various philosophical attitudes for almost 60 years. It was a rare and sustaining connection, equally treasured by both. Please click here for what promises to be the most complete description of Peter's life from the age of 14. It's beautiful.

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My uncle Peter was a remarkable man who touched the lives of many with his wisdom and kindness. He was always there to offer support and share his knowledge.

I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of cancer, a few years ago, and Peter sent me a thoughtful email about a talk he gave on the importance of understanding probability in the context of severe disease diagnosis. And I quote Peter's answer, "I was asked to give a talk on my choice of topic to a select group of math teachers. I chose to speak about the time in a person's life between a first diagnosis of a severe disease and the time of subsequent confirmation or not. This turns out to be a very important and surprising probability problem. The statistics are often misinterpreted and unnecessarily upsetting."

That's exactly how I felt when I first got diagnosed--unnecessarily upset. But now, I continue to be in remission and live a healthy and wonderful life today.

Peter had a great sense of humor and a curious mind. When I asked him via email if his computer was still working, he said, "Not so fast. Reports of the death of my laptop are greatly exaggerated. It's happily ensconced on a shelf in front of me, ready at any time to leap into action."

He was also a passionate educator, dedicated to his work at Stuyvesant High School teaching math and computer science. His enthusiasm for teaching and his ability to make complex subjects accessible to students was evident in every interaction. Peter's love for learning and sharing knowledge extended beyond the classroom.

He often recommended interesting podcasts and videos, always eager to engage in meaningful conversations and expand his horizons.

Above all, Peter was a caring and supportive uncle. He always took the time to listen, offer advice, and share his experiences. His thoughtful messages and the love he showed to his family will always be remembered and cherished.

Like me, Peter has a love and passion for cycling. For years, we had talked about, dreamed about, going on a bicycle tour through Europe together. Unfortunately, it never happened with him, but earlier this summer, his brother, also known as my dad, and I went on a bicycle tour through the island of Sardinia together in his honor. I'm happy to show a few short clips from that journey here (STAY TUNED).

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Jason Brooks Remembering Peter - Sardinia

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It was under the banner of Micromind, the company he created, that Peter produced and supported almost all of his original software. The picture Peter posted on his CV page was taken at his wedding in 1997. You can see what a day it was by looking at his smile. Check out his equally impressive CV and Micromind pages.

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Address

450 14 St.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215

Email

President/Founder of MicroMind, Inc.

Software Design and Development

To date, Peter has designed/created 9 software packages for the international marketplace.

His products, like OL2 and OL390, have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

SlipKnot was awarded Best Shareware Communications Program of 1995 and was runner-up for Best Overall Shareware Program of 1995 by Ziff-Davis.

Some of Peter's creations, including SlipKnot, StereoScopic Showcase and RUN/C, were the world's first products of their type.

Software consulting

In addition, Peter has designed and/or developed software for the following organizations:

Customers

Jet Propulsion Laboratories
Hughes Aircraft Co.
Citibank
Goldman Sachs
Sharp Electronics
Columbia University
Lifeboat Associates
Professional Software Consortium
Palantir
Cybersites
Grants Management Group
ISC Consultants

Teaching

Currently, Peter is teaching Computer Science and Mathematics at Stuyvesant High School, in New York City.

Peter has designed the teaching materials for and taught over 60 one-week-long seminars since 1981:

Topics

Customers

C Language Programming

Advanced Programming in C

Visual Basic Programming

Unix and Shell Programming

Informix Programming

Dreyfus
Lehman Brothers
Citibank
Texas Instruments
Kidder-Peabody
SV Systems
Learnix Ltd.
Quotron
CD Plus
Weight Watchers
Lifeboat Associates

Columbia University
Washington University in St. Louis

Research Experience

Mathematical computer graphics
Laser/Computer Holography
Mathematical economics

Education

B.Sc. in Mathematics, California Institute of Technology, 1973.
M.A. in Economics, New School for Social Research, 1977.
M.A. in Mathematics Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2006.

Asteroid

Peterbrooks -- ID: 24200 -- ( Jet Propulsion Laborator y)

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Address 450 14 St. Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215 Email President/Founder of MicroMind, Inc. Software Design and Development To date, Peter has designed/created 9 software packages for the international marketplace. His products, like OL2 and OL390, have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

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We hope you listen to these 1.5 minute long tributes to Peter from some of his students. You can multiply this group by the hundreds.

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There are 43 short NetLogo tutorials here. NetLogo is a computer language taught at Stuyvesant. Peter made these recordings so his students could review the material at home, and repeat as needed. Thousands of students have, and continue to use them. In this way, Peter is still teaching.

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Peter won a Math for America (MFA) Master Teacher Fellowship twice, each a 4 year term. This is a presentation he gave in 2017 as an MFA Fellow clarifying how to interpret probability more accurately, especially as it relates to life and death diagnoses. It's a joy to watch and listen to him.

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2017 MT²: Master Teachers on Teaching - Peter Brooks

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Matters of Life, Death, and Probability - MƒA Master Teacher Peter Brooks
"When is a 1% chance really a 1% chance? What is the connection between skepticism and mathematics?"

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Peter wrote this beautiful article for The Spectator, the Stuy newspaper, about his passion for teaching and how he was inspired to follow this path. It's a must read.

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Our own Mr. Peter Brooks shares his story!

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No one in the Math or CS department asked Peter to design courses on Human Reasoning and Artificial Intelligence. But once he did it, the need for them was recognized. These courses became favorites to the lucky kids who got to take them, and they were frequently audited, multiple times, by faculty, as well as students. This interview illuminates why he wanted to teach these subjects.

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Four years ago, computer science (CS) teacher Peter Brooks made the decision to stop teaching his Human Reasoning course in favor of a more modern one: Artificial Intelligence (AI). This was not an easy decision for Brooks, but due to his software development roots, he wanted to create new things. "It's a little bit harder when you're a teacher to create something entirely new. I had a chance to do that with [former computer science teacher Michael] Zamansky [...]. The two of us created the second semester of Intro to CS together, and then I [created] the Human Reasoning course [and] the AI course," Brooks explained.

The AI class was hard to formulate; Brooks took a sabbatical semester off to focus on creating the course. Since many people have a misconception of what AI actually is, he faced dilemmas such as what approach to teaching he'd take. "The difficulty with the AI class is that most people think of [AI] these days as consisting of machine learning. Machine learning is only a small part of AI," Brooks explained. He didn't have enough material for a year-long course, but limiting AI to just a semester would mean that he could only touch upon a sliver of machine learning. Ultimately, AI ended up being a one-semester course. In the class, Brooks makes sure to not only focus on the CS aspects of AI, but also on real-world applications and impacts, such as AI-generated unemployment, privacy and surveillance problems, and military issues. "Those are interesting and societally important to think about," he said.

Junior Alvin Li, however, is disappointed to see the class go, replaced once again by Human Reasoning. Since spring semester, he has been auditing the class because he wasn't able to obtain the course despite his large interest in CS career options, specifically AI-related topics. "There was a large range of post-AP CS classes that I wanted to take [and] one of the more interesting ones was [AI] because it was taught by Brooks, who I had for Intro [to CS], and he was a really interesting teacher," Li explained.

Now, Brooks thinks it's important to revive his Human Reasoning course due to recent events. "We've been through the Trump era. And, as a result, [...] we have had difficulties [...] telling truth from fiction," he explained. The course would emphasize teaching students critical thinking. "At this point, I feel it is more valuable [...] for students to take the Human Reasoning course than to take [AI], and I wish I could have [taught the class] during the last four years when I think we needed it more," he said.

Human Reasoning would also teach students how to find credible sources of information, make fruitful estimates, and ask interesting questions. For example, queries like "How can you possibly answer a legitimate question in two different, contradictory ways?" pepper class discussions and center the course. Brooks seeks to answer these questions, despite their more philosophical nature. "Well, your head blows up. We suffer those consequences in a few students, but we still have most of the class left," he explained. In Human Reasoning, Brooks also wants to teach students to not rely on Google for all of their information. "Do not depend on Google [...] because Google does not know very large quantities of things," he said.

Aside from differences in content between the two courses, another difference is that Human Reasoning does not have any prerequisites, while AI requires the student to have passed or to currently be taking Advanced Placement CS. Human Reasoning is a math class and is set to fulfill the Math 4 requirement, which requires students to take a math class their senior year. "If you need pre-calc[ulus], you can't replace it with this course. That's why it's likely to be a senior level course except for the folks who've taken pre-calc[ulus] in second grade," he said. He mentioned that if the class is oversubscribed, the Program Office might select students based on different criteria. "It will probably be by height," he joked.

Though Brooks could preserve both his AI and Human Reasoning courses by dropping his Intro to CS class, he explained that he treasures the opportunity to introduce students to a completely new subject. Since students may come into Stuyvesant with prior knowledge of almost all other subjects (i.e. English, mathematics, and science), it's very rare for teachers to teach topics that students have never encountered before. He's also able to introduce students to a new way of learning that promotes individual thinking. "I will teach you the basics, but the next level? You have to figure out [yourself...] This is a way to open up a bunch of people's minds to something brand new and powerful," he said. Despite this motivation, Brooks may also have an ulterior motive for students who retain this problem-solving knowledge. "[It] makes me look good," he revealed.

As with in-person and remote learning, Brooks is open to people auditing his classes. "I have no restrictions on that. [...] The more the merrier, I'm very happy to have auditors," he said. However, because of projected plans of returning to in-person learning in September, the number of people who can audit will be limited. "There's a limited number of seats on the air conditioner for people who are auditing," Brooks said with a smile.

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Computer science teacher Peter Brooks has plans to revive his Human Reasoning class.

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Peter actually staged this famous Abbott and Costello comedy routine as a surprise for his classes with other teachers playing out the scene with him. It was just one of the many ways he made his lessons full of unexpected fun.

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Abbott and Costello, Who’s on first? text

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Text of Abbott and Costello’s Who’s on First.

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Frequently, colleges and universities ask incoming freshman to name a teacher who has inspired them to excel and think more deeply. That teacher then receives some sort of honor from the school. That's why Peter had a planet named in his honor by MIT. This is only one of many such honors Peter received over the years.

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Slipknot Wikipedia

Slipknot Homepage

Slipknot User Reviews

Here's where you can take a deeper dive into SlipKnot for which Peter won a major award. It was one of the first world wide web browsers and allowed everyday users access to the internet without fancy equipment when the web was in its infancy. FYI: this is what Peter looked like when he did this work.

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A few visuals and explanations to demonstrate how, and the tools with which, Peter constructed Slipknot. The difference between tech now and then is staggering.

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It is awe inspiring to consider that Peter ran over 60 salons out of his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and then in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. The subjects covered include gastronomy, economics, bioethics, politics, story telling, folk songs, sex, morality & fairy tales, oral history, the history of the tango, play readings, nutrition and on and on. Attendance ranged from between 5 and 45, hovering mostly at 25. He loved creating community and sharing the joy of learning with as many people as possible. The community loved it as well.

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Sandra Boynton’s BE LIKE A DUCK - is from a family favorite album of songs for kids called Philadelphia Chickens. Be Like a Duck is particularly relevant to how Peter lived and what he wanted to teach his children and students...walk the walk, talk the talk, and take to the sky. But do it with humor.

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Sandra Boynton’s BE LIKE A DUCK Keith Boynton

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Fiasco! This American Life Episode - 1997

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Fiasco! This American Life Episode - 1997

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This episode always made Peter laugh, particularly Acts I and II. What better response could anyone have to a fiasco? He loved sharing it with others.

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Related

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may like these What happens when of a group of public school students in the Bronx goes to visit an elite private school three miles away. A family where the father was one kind of sissy and the son was another kind, and how the family was destroyed despite the fact that no one wanted it to be.

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Peter started this site in 2022, after his transplant, to create a forum for his friends to enjoy their favorite poetry together. He posted a few of his own favorite poems here. It's a treat to see what he chose to share, especially because he sometimes explained why.

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First, find a wonderful poem. If you think that other folks will also enjoy it, then either... 1. Find it on the internet and send me the link (plus the name of the poem, so there’s no mistake), with additions (below) or 2. Take a picture of the poem and send it to me, with additions (below). or 3. Copy the poem into a word processor and save it as a PDF or DOCX file and send that as an attachment (don’t copy it into the body of the email), with additions (below). Please try to reproduce the poet’s spacing otherwise they’ll get upset and hostile. Additions: I’ll need your name as the “submitter”, please include it. Add comments, if any, that you’d like to share about the poem. These will be presented in the Comments section underneath the poem. Make sure that the names of the poem and poet are included in your email. If taking a picture and the poem is longer than will fit in the image, take more than one picture and I will try to sew them together. SEND TO: ppbrooks@gmail.com with Subject: “Poetry”

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If you'd like to Donate in Peter's Honor, here are places he supported:

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If you'd like to Donate in Peter's Honor, here are places he supported:

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The Peter Brooks Computer Science for Social Good Prize

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

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Oscar Nominated Animated Short Film - Peter loved animated shorts and this was one of them.

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THE BIG SNIT - Oscar Nominated Animated Short Film

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David Chen - First Winner of the             Peter Brooks Computer Science for Social Good Prize - 2025

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David Chen - First Winner of the             Peter Brooks Computer Science for Social Good Prize - 2025

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I thank you so very much for this prize in honor of Mr. Brooks. This award is especially significant to me because of how deeply his work has affected the trajectory of my life. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Brooks once in his final year at Stuyvesant, at the opening meeting of the Competitive Coding Club. Seeing how knowledgeable, experienced, and passionate he was, while also being approachable and kind, even to a freshman like me, made me excited to join the Stuy CS family (which remains one of my closest groups!)

His work actually affected my life in even greater ways than that; the very reason my friends and I resolved to attend Stuyvesant was because of his StuyHack Hackathon! We went on to win StuyHacks XI as Stuyvesant students, something that is one of the peaks of my Stuyvesant

years.

You might be delighted to hear that I ended up continuing the tradition he fostered – I was one of the key organizers for STuyHacks XII, the revival of StuyHacks after Mr. Brooks' retirement led to its hiatus. A new generation of students is preparing to carry the torch I passed onward!

I cannot say it enough, so I will say it again: thank you! You and Mr. Brooks have my undying gratitude.

Sincerely,

David Chen

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Jeremy, a friend, computer science colleague, and a political progressive and activist, engaged with Peter in long running and far ranging discussions about politics, science and the fate of humanity. The discussion picked up where it left off no matter how long the interval. Actually, the interval was never very long.

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Here Felix and Jeremy have wonderful relaxed conversation about the breadth of Peter's knowledge and the joy he took in listening and learning, along with the joy they took in sharing the journey with him.

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Hi, I’m Jocelyn, Peter’s niece.

If I had to describe Peter in just one word, it would be present. Whether we were in a deep conversation or just sharing a quiet moment, he had a way of making you feel like you were exactly where you were meant to be. I think this is a Brooks trait, as my dad, his brother, also has that gift. I am still working on it…

Now, I’m sure others will speak about how brilliant, curious, quick-witted and hilarious Peter was - and they’ll be absolutely correct. But there’s another truly remarkable trait of his that I think deserves its own spotlight:

Peter could NAP anywhere. Anytime.

On a random museum bench. Mid-discussion about where to get dessert. After a dance with his mother. If Peter needed a nap, the world paused, and he made it happen. It was a kind of superpower.

Peter and I also had a running debate about cycling. I’m not the most confident rider- I prefer indoor spinning, where there’s rhythm but no risk of falling, no traffic, no chaos. But Peter loved the unpredictability of the road, the adventure of it. We’d go back and forth, debating spinning vs. cycling. And of course, I lost.

Peter didn’t just win the argument - he proved his point by taking me on a real bike ride across New York City. It was exhilarating. And terrifying. And it remains one of my proudest accomplishments - one I will absolutely never attempt again. But I did it because I lost a debate to Peter. And because when he believed in something, you couldn’t help but get pulled in.

Even though we didn’t live in the same city, Peter had a way of making me feel completely welcomed - always part of the inner circle, never on the outside.

When Peter met the love of his life, he became completely devoted to his family. He poured himself into learning how to best support Deb and their daughters - asking questions, doing research, always seeking to be better. When I visited New York, my favorite moments were sitting around the table with the Brooks-Pope family, debating the impact of technology, politics, or whatever the topic of the day was. He had such a deep love and admiration for his family, it was clear how much they lifted him up.

He once sent me this email, around 20 years ago, in response to me visiting them:

“Dom and Becca can go off and play games, and you and Abby and Deb can talk about, like, whatever you talk about. And I can, well… nap.”

We miss him terribly. But we carry him with us, in every quiet moment, in every curious question and in every well-earned nap.

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A BALLAD FOR PETER BROOKS

Once

upon the shores of Staten Island

When Deb married Peter, and Peter married Deb

A miraculous merger happened here

Noble young man joining forces with Popes

To Lillie and Martin, the parents,

To me, Mim, Deb’s older sister

To my sons Danny and Raf growing up and later to their wives Felicia and Larisa,

We were gifted

A personal, customized, 24/7 Renaissance Guardian Angel,

You may have seen him flying around in the neighb

The Jolly green Jeni

With suspenders….

Glasses and

Wings…sometimes on a bicycle…always smiling whistling a happy tune..

He had a Unique Glow

Hands, heart and patience, full and extended to us

As needed for the next quest in question

By Lillie for her ongoing never ending  archival projects…

As needed By  Martin

For BIG TIME scientific Mathematical Digital  theoretical Solutions

There to see in second edition of his  treatise on Electronic Processes

Yet magically, ever present for all other digital, medical, food, delight, life saving orders for Martin and me and my sons

always, always,

Appearing, rescuing, providing as needed

To my joy we were a  match for a particular humor

Which allowed us non drug induced flights of verbal fancy resulting in a natural high

Leaving the real world eons behind

Beyond his life saving presence

Were the

the gifts for us

Bright eyed and bushy tailed

in his utter passion for life

And his joy in bringing us along on the ride

New Adventures

Sharing His beloved

Poems

Short stories

Music

Drama

Animation cinema

Soirees

Countless yarns  he would spin

Of youthful antics

And exciting forays

Such mirth

In the recounting

We needed encores

Part of us has gone with this beautiful prince

The world does not spin as it did before

craters of pain

disbelief heavy

Yet

Peter’s after glow remains,

For each one of us

Sweet memories of immeasurable treasures

Thanks Deb,

What a guy

Amen!’

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Rochelle founded a public relations firm that focused on promoting books, movies, articles, etc. with progressive viewpoints, and now spearheads elder political activism. She, alongside her husband Felix, had an over 40 year friendship with Peter during which they discussed politics, art, and even feelings and relationships.

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Peter's Stuyvesant Colleagues in the Computer Science (CS) Department (Room 301): David Holmes, Mike Zamansky, Topher Mykolyk, JonAlf Dyrland-Weaver and Yulia Genkina gathered for a virtual Peter Fest. It's an amazing conversation that provides a wonderful portrait of Peter as a master teacher as well as a peak into the Teachers-Only Room.

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Felix is a leader in a world wide conservation movement and in addition to being Peter's dear friend, participated in the creation and managed all the promotion of Slipknot, ultimately bringing it and Peter the attention they deserved. During decades of friendship the two explored, among other things, NYC, animated movies, theater, technology and bike riding.

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We invite you to share your memories of Peter by clicking the plus button next to the title of the Peter's People section or in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Notes are welcome, as are photos and videos.

For the best experience we recommend visiting the page on your computer screen.

Scroll down to view or go directly to a section by clicking on the links below.

Peter's Family

Peter's Friends

Peter's Colleagues

Peter's Stuy Students

2025 Peter Brooks CS for Social Good Prize Winner

Peter's Productions

Peter's Picks

Peter's Pictures

Peter's People - leave a message here

SLIDE THE BAR UNDER EACH SECTION TO THE RIGHT TO SEE MORE POSTS

YOU CAN CLICK AT THE BOTTOM OF MOST YOUTUBE SCREENS TO SHOW AI-GENERATED CLOSED CAPTIONS

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Alec Rivers took over Peter's Stuy classes during the spring semester of 2008, when Peter was on medical leave to take care of Deborah. But Alec was also Peter's student from the time he was 8 years old. Alec tells the rest.

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It would be impossible to include all the books Peter loved and/or recommended to people. We're sure the Math and CS sections of this list are sorely wanting. Let us know if he recommended a book to you that should be included here. Any subject!

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Peter loved Judy Collins but this song was a particular favorite that he and Deb shared. There was controversy about whether In My Life was written by John Lennon or Paul McCartney but in 2018 a mathematician proved it was Lennon. Check out the article produced by NPR: https://www.npr.org/2018/08/11/637468053/a-songwriting-mystery-solved-math-proves-john-lennon-wrote-in-my-life

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Peter was a talented story teller and writer. He wrote this short story about hosting his mother during one of her visits to NYC from LA, where she lived at the time. This is a must read for anyone curious about him as a young man and how he maintained his chosen course with strength and fortitude, while also considering the quirks of others.

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Peter arrived in NYC at the age of 25 to study Marxist Economics with Anwar at the New School for Social Research. It was a match made in heaven and the two of them had incredible amounts of fun debating economic theory, artistic relevance, technological ethics, where to get the best lunch or dinner, and what action movie to see, for almost 50 years.

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This serenade by Schubert was one that Peter tried, on and off for years, to adapt for use in a music box. It's very recognizable, sad and slow and therefore a perfect choice. Even though he didn't succeed the piece had a special place in his history.

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Schubert Ständchen : Camille Thomas and Beatrice Berrut

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Most people associate Nick Parks' stop animation with Wallace & Grommit but for Peter, Parks made his first mark through Creature Comforts. In this short the characters are supplied by Parks, and the dialogue is supplied by interviews with real humans. It's just 5 minutes long and priceless.

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Lip Sync: Creature Comforts (Original Short)

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Yuja Wang: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #2 in C Minor

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Yuja Wang: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #2 in C Minor

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Peter's collection of classical CD's was huge! He would grade papers with head phones and conduct the orchestra waving his red pen in the air at critical moments. If the music hit a crescendo that was particularly moving, Peter would reach out into the air as if to grab the passion. The Rach 2 has many moments like that.

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Yuja Wang: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 [HD]

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Over the years Peter printed out hundreds of articles on a wide range of subjects because for him part of the enjoyment of reading was having the paper and print in his hands. This article was one of a few that made it into a special file because it exemplified so much of Peter's attitude and drive to improve lives. He always looked for solutions outside the box and ones that solved the problem with simple elegance. The Checklist is such a solution. An ordinary checklist diminished hospital mortality rates by shocking percentages.

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This article also made it into Peter's special file. It's about why and how Stanley Kaplan created his SAT empire. The SAT's amazingly arbitrary standards must have appealed to Peter's sense of humor and irony.

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Putting this page together has been a communal labor of love for Peter, a collaboration between Abby, Becca, Jocelyn, Jeremy, Dom, Jesse, Deb and each of you. Thank you for being part of it all.

We hope you can savor your time with this material. As you will see, we’ve tried to reflect as much of Peter as we could, but it’s an impossible task to do him justice.

NOTE: The background for this page comes from an exercise Peter created for himself in 1978. His premise, or motivating questions was: “What, if anything, is the perspective view of an ellipse?" He then laid out his approach, “The problem can be visually attacked by 3 different methods: Geometric, Algebraic, and Linear Algebraic." Peter filled 13 pages with his solutions. In the middle of the 14th page there is only one sentence, “See, wasn’t that trivial?” It’s very Peter.

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When Peter came to Stuyvesant as a student teacher Gary was his mentor. Both gifted teachers, they recognized the quality in each other from the start. Peter remained grateful for having had Gary as his guide and colleague.

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This 3 minute video describes the Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition for which NYC public school students, grades 3 - 12, write and illustrate their own books. Peter's enthusiasm for this program inspired many improvements and innovations in the way it was administered. He took great pride in the work of the EJK Foundation and contributed to all its activities.

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Thoughts on usefulness or uselessness of algebra

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Thoughts on usefulness or uselessness of algebra

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Being the iconoclast he was, Peter proposed writing a PhD thesis exploring why teaching algebra was useless, if not harmful, while he was enrolled in the Math Department of Teacher's College working toward his MA in Education. The idea did not go over well with the Dean of the Department and happily the PhD proved unnecessary. Nevertheless, he wrote this essay and then a paper on the subject for his favorite professor, Dr. Henry Pollak.

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Conference on Computers for Social Change-News Release

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Conference on Computers for Social Change-News Release

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Between 1986 and 1995 Peter was a primary organizer for the NYC Computers for Social Change conferences. The conference flyers listed dozens of workshops over the multi-day events, run by professionals from around the country including Peter. This news release provides a wonderful description of the ideals and mission behind the conferences--to find a way to point the design and use of computer software toward doing good for people and society.

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In 1982-1983, Peter was a key part of an international team that worked with Nicaragua’s Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales (INIES) to design and deploy a microcomputer-based documentation system focused on medium- and long-term development problems of Central America and the Caribbean and on linking regional research efforts. Peter started in June 1982 and continued well into 1983. Peter’s initial focus was on technical hardware, software and functional design, including getting a KayPro computer and other tech resources to Nicaragua.  Peter also provided generous support and insights to other such efforts in Latin America.  Larry Wright, Mimi Keck, and Deborah Huntington,  friends and former roommates of Peter, provide some additional details.

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Can you imagine Peter going to Las Vegas to beat the odds against a roulette wheel? Well, he did, along with a group of other Cal Tech students. And here's his memoir of their exploits. George Clooney decided not to option it for an "Ocean's 23" movie (joke) but it would have been good material. Actually, this write-up works for lay people, as well as for math and CS aficionados.

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You can see Little Libraries everywhere but this is Peter's version, Peter's Fine Free Books. He started by putting out books from his own library but then the neighborhood took over. It's never empty and no book stays for more than a few days. There's plastic cover to protect against rain that someone always puts in place when necessary. It's a community effort, started by Peter.

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More from Felix and Jeremy on sharing their in the world of technology with Peter as the internet was born and they each were exploring how to use the machinery to do good in the world. You'll find info on the inspiration for Slipknot here.

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Peter was a profound influence in my life. As my cousin, he was like the older brother I did not have.

As children, he was three years older—a substantial difference at a young age—and he was not particularly fond of me, but he did tolerate me. I was more of a pest, and I kind of enjoyed that.

We began to like each other more as teenagers. Our parents would meet weekly for card parties—a Hungarian tradition with a close-knit group of friends who had immigrated to the United States in the early 60’s. There were about 6–8 kids who didn’t have much in common except a ping pong table, tennis courts, and a pool at a park.I first gained Peter’s attention when I beat him at ping pong. This was both humiliating for him and a challenge that put me in his crosshairs.

In high school, I became a pretty good runner, and running a 9:27 two-mile and a 2:45 marathon was the clincher that catapulted me up the respect ladder to Peter. It was definitely not my academics.

In college, I was a sociology major with a leftist bent. Peter enrolled at the New School around my last year in college, and when I told him I wanted to continue studying sociology, he said the New School was the place to go—and he encouraged me to come to New York.

So, in 1976, I got accepted to the New School and started on a road I would not have taken but for Peter. The New School was great, but we had few overlapping courses—he was an economics major. Still, we were both thrilled with New York City. It was a rowdy and wonderful time.Peter was heavily into computer programming then and was able to make a sustainable living at it. I was a part-time waiter, data entry operator (a job Peter got me), and taxi driver, supporting my way through school.

Peter became a kind of de facto mentor to me. We would go to museums, have walking tours, and take bike rides all over the city. There was no intellectual competition between us—he was in a class by himself—and it was always interesting to be with him. He would lecture, and I would listen.

Peter’s view of the world was inquisitive and critical. I learned that when talking to him, he did not suffer clichés or political correctness (except for when he pronounced Nicaragua as Nic-Ar-Agua, slowly and with the proper Spanish accent!). I always cracked up when he did that because he was so serious.

I learned that when talking to Peter, you first had to make sure that if you made a statement, you understood what you were saying and were prepared to defend it. Do you know what you are talking about? The second part was: Is the statement true? What are the implications? He would lead you down an intellectual roadmap. “Not so fast,” he would say! Then he would dissect you live, with no anesthesia. The decision to get a lung transplant was, first and foremost, a brave decision. Peter was a risk-taker and he loved probability theory. He believed in science and education as the way forward, and was not a fan of faith or religion—but that is not to say he was not spiritual. He found his niche in teaching, and it truly was his calling. I remember him fondly, and especially when I have to make a hard decision, I think: What would Peter do?

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Baseball for the Mathematically Inclined

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Baseball for the Mathematically Inclined

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Although not a sports fan or athlete, Peter was fascinated by aspects of almost everything. Here's his go at America's third favorite sport, (after football and basketball.)

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If a Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly movie was playing on the living room TV when Peter was passing through, he would always stay to watch the whole number. And, of course, the Astaire rotating room was a fav.

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Dancing On The Ceiling  1951  (Fred Astaire)

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No explanation needed.

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Same.

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Jeff and Peter were roommates in the mid to late 70s (starting at the General Theological Seminary!) and he has a delightful perspective on Peter as a young man. Jeff became a union organizer and leader. He currently advocates for elder rights, among other causes.

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Deborah Huntington, Mimi Keck and Larry Wright also roomed with Peter in the mid to late 70s and remained his dear friends forever. The lives of each of these good people have leaned deeply into sharing knowledge, access and opportunity with as many people as possible.

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I was so incredibly lucky to have been engaged in a 29 year long uninterrupted conversation with Peter during which we shared, well, everything. Perhaps most importantly, our senses of humor were an outstanding match. We made each other laugh. Anyone who knew Peter knows how important that was.

We were a team, best friends and sweethearts, and among many other things, found great happiness in parenting together. With the guidance of our incredible daughters (Abigail and Rebecca) we  created a wonderful family. It was a joy to know he’d be coming home to us everyday so we could hear his report, he could adjudicate Ab and Bec’s complaints. And we could continue our conversation.

I loved him when he was strong and when he was weak, happy or sad, right or pig-headed and he made sure to let me know he felt the same about me. When ill health robbed us of our hope and humor and drove us into bouts of insanity, no matter how bad the storm, and there were bad storms, when the howling winds quieted, we were still together, holding hands.

I was so proud that Peter chose to spend his life with me, and grateful that he wanted me to spend mine with him, through thick and thin.

I won’t  try to describe what losing him means to me but I will say that his death hasn’t ended our conversation. I hear his opinions, his jokes, his reassurance and his advice all the time, and I know I always will.

Thank you for being here, for being part of Peter’s life and ours, and for continuing the struggle to make the world a better place despite the flood of people who are trying to push us downward.

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Hi, I’m Abby, and I’m Peter’s eldest daughter. We all know that my dad meant so much to so many people; that he was a generous helper, a vigorous interlocutor, and a passionate educator. Today, in the spirit of celebrating and sharing my dad’s life, I want to honor a part of his story he seldom spoke about: his family’s incredible immigration story. I could tell how deeply it affected him in a way that he didn’t want to show. But when he did speak about it, it was also clear how much he admired his parents’ determination to survive, first through World War II as Jews in Hungary, and then as refugees of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Once in Canada and then America, they worked their way up to see him and his brother thrive.

When I was in high school, I did an oral history project that recorded his memory of his experience as a refugee. Just as he was proud of his parents, I too am a proud inheritor of his family’s incredible story, which I am going to read to you now in an abridged version, in his voice (see link)

...

Doing this project with my dad brought us closer together, and it is a shared experience that meant a lot to me. His family’s legacy of resilience, bravery, and triumph is a part of him that I will always carry. He didn’t just pass down a history though; he shaped me into who I am today with the wisdom, staunch intellect, and open optimism that this experience forged in him. I miss my dad, and know that my life will never be the same without him in it.

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My father — my best friend — was the one who taught me to approach life with laughter and kindness. He showed me that each experience is an adventure, meant to be met with curiosity and purpose. Words will always fall short of capturing how deeply I miss him, or how profoundly I love him. I’ll forever be that little girl, running into his arms. And though I can’t reach for him now, I carry him with me — reminding myself that it's alright, and to worry not. -Becs

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Reading this tome tribute to Peter involves a journey..within a journey.

For me there is so much more to learn about Peter's imprint on the world and his people.

A few things I do know but did not say in the earlier thoughts.

We know that Peter means Rock. and many of you know that Deb's family were rock collectors. Whenever we found the special ones, our parents would rejoice and regale us with praise.

The quest was long, but the wait yielded

TREASURE:

Deb found the RAREST and most PRECIOUS ROCK of all in PETER,

and Peter found HIS OWN TRUE LOVE and WIT, in DEB, rocks included.

As Deb speaks of her continued time with Peter, I see Peter's time with all of us proves the maxim-

A rolling stone gathers no moss, and that is Peter still, no stopping his presence as he rolls along with us, even, AS JOCELYN shares, while NAPPING.

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Dear people of Peter's community:

My parents, David and Rachel, are dear friends of Peter and Deb, and my sister and I are close in age to Abby and Becca. Peter is there in lots of my childhood memories: burgers on the grill, birthday parties, bat mitzvahs.

I went to high school on 7th Ave near the Pope-Brooks residence. Like many moody teens circa 2011, I almost perpetually had my iPod in my hoodie pocket and my wired earphones in. I don't know how to sing, and I don't sing in front of other people, but I still love to sing when I'm alone. I never had the nerve to sing out in public, but sometimes walking around NYC, I would be so bold as to hum my heart out along to the music in my ears.

That is exactly what I was doing when I nearly collided with Peter Brooks on the sidewalk. I pulled my earphones out to say hello, and Peter was smiling with that wonderful twinkle in his eye as he said to me, "You know, that is something I love about New York City. I love that people feel the freedom here to hum or sing or whistle as they walk down the streets. You don't hear that anywhere else the way you do in New York." Of course, I am paraphrasing, because the way Peter said it, it was an entire poetic anecdote that would've been fit for publication verbatim. I regret not being able to recall his exact words; there was part of a story in there, and I think the word "symphony" was involved, and probably a mathematical metaphor.

But I just would like it to be known: I am now 28 years old. The heavy-as-a-brick iPod Classic in space gray is now obsolete, and earphones don't need those wires anymore, but you can still catch me more days than not walking around NYC humming along to my music as loud and proud as I please. And absolutely every single time I begin to hum, just for a second, I smile and I think of Peter.

He may no longer be with us as he once was, but I am one of so many people who remembers Peter in ways like this. I just know the twinkle it puts in my eye must look the same as his that sunny Autumn day in Brooklyn some 15 or 16 years ago.

Love,

Adira* Koosis

*still known to some as Emma, Em, or Emmy

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I've posted here a group of photos from my collection. Except for one photo of him and me from 1990, the others are all since he met Deborah and they became Pope-Brooks -- with loving memories from Felix (Click on the photo above for more of Peter, family & friends)

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Peter Memorial Photos by Felix · Oct 16, 2010 – Jul 6, 2025 📸

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I'm so grateful for this memorial to get to know Peter. My heart is filled with sadness, and gratitude and somber joy. I didn't know Peter well, but I did know he was gentle, and kind. It fills my heart with joy to see what an amazing person he was, how much love he shared with Deb, Abby and Becca, and how much it meant for him to teach. Teaching doesn't even describe it; his life was full and he shared that fullness with his family, friends and in his work. I love you Deb, Abby and Becca, and my heart is with you.

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I first had Mr. Brooks for the year-long Annual Intro CS class -- he was one of the most vibrant, patient, and knowledgeable teachers I've ever had. I have many friends who started to enjoy CS because of his teaching! I loved having him as a teacher so much that I wanted him to be interviewed for the Winter Edition of Math Survey when I became Editor-in-Chief. Here is the article: https://stuymathsurvey.com/article.html?type=feature&article=19Mr__Peter_Brooks__A_Crafter_Who_Crafts_His_Own_Universes_in_a_Machine

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The Official Publication of the Stuyvesant Math and Computer Science Department since 1927

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Felix talked about a little digital discussion group of sorts that he, Peter and I formed in the early 90s and although the activity thinned quite a bit as time went on, it is ever present in my thoughts.

We three met through the Internet and spent a lot of time surfing the web and sharing things that interested us... which were A LOT of things, as it happened. I guess this is embedded in my mind as a permanent feature and so I offer this in continuation of Peter's memory:

Unpicking How to Measure the Complexity of Knots -- as addressed by two mathematicians, from a WIRED article.

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I talked to St Peter and he said Peter is doing fine and looking down on all of us.