Thank you all for being here, I know that your presence here means a lot to Brock’s family, and that he would have been very touched that you have all come here as we remember him today.
On behalf of all of us who worked with Brock, I’d like to say how much he was appreciated, valued and loved by all of us. Brock was a wonderful man with an unforgettable smile and wit. His humor and ability to do most anything well always made our days with him more rewarding and enjoyable. In the newspaper business, there are many stressful deadlines and concerns, but nothing like that ever seemed to phase Brock. He was always smiling and in a good mood, and usually had some choice wise-cracks along the way. He took care of everything that needed to be done even before any of us thought to do it. We knew that if Brock was on the job, everything would go well, and we’d have a good time too. Brock wasn’t a journalist, but he could certainly run a bureau better than most of the writers out there.
What always amazed me about Brock was how fast he moved – even though he suffered from arthritis. When he came to work in the morning it seemed like he was hopping out of his car and ready to go – even before the car came to a full stop. The only time I ever saw Brock upset was when he came in one day to tell us about the seriousness of his illness. He wanted so much to be around long enough to hold his new grandchild.
Brock had a wonderful and humorous take on everything. And you’ll all recall that he referred to everything a ‘doo-hinkus’. Brock’s had a sharp wit- he didn’t suffer foolishness, and you always knew how he felt about something, but it was always good natured, and he was willing to laugh at himself as well. One night, we were at a press conference at City Hall, standing to the side and waiting for things to begin, and Brock looked down towards the ground and started laughing. It seems that when he got up in the morning- and I now he always got up really early- it must have still been dark, and he put on one brown shoe and one black one. He laughed about that for a long time and he even made a point to tell everyone else about it –which I know brightened up the evening for them as well.
You could tell that Brock had a great love for his family. He was always talking about them, and you could tell that he cared deeply for them. Brock’s wife Doris, and their children and grandchildren are wonderful people just like Brock. When Brock died, I can only imagine what his family was going through, but it was certainly one of the toughest days of my life. As we drove out to the house to see Doris, Ernie can tell you, I was crying like a baby, and when we got there I’m not sure if I was helping the family through things, or if they were helping me, because that’s the kind of gracious giving people they are. I know that Brock loved them very much.
God bless you Brock, we remember you with love in our hearts and a smile on our faces.