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School bus joins funeral procession for long-serving East Tennessee driver

The funeral procession for a Hawkins County man who drove a school bus for more than 57 years included the last bus he drove before retiring.
Credit: Rick Wagner/The Kingsport Times-News via AP
Bus No. 89 is parked in the funeral procession line after transporting the family of late bus driver Robert Brooks to his graveside service.

A funeral procession for an East Tennessee man who drove a school bus for more than 57 years included the last bus he drove before retiring — Hawkins County Schools bus no. 89. 

The Kingsport Times News reports Robert Brooks started driving for Hawkins in 1958. In 2010, Brooks beat the record for the longest-serving bus driver in the Volunteer State with 52 years. 

In 2014 he was inducted into the Tennessee School Bus Driver Hall of Fame.

Credit: TN School Bus Driver Hall of Fame
Robert Brooks

He retired in 2016 and died on Christmas Day at the age of 84. Brooks' former bus carried his widow and other family members to the cemetery on Saturday.

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