Deacon Jerome Brockman: 1928-2020

Nazareth—Deacon Jerome Brockman, a member of the first class of Permanent Deacons for the Diocese of Amarillo, passed away June 14. He was 92 years old.
 
Mass was celebrated June 18, Holy Family Church, Father Vijayabhaskar “Bhaskar” Rao Adusupalli, parochial administrator, presiding, with Father John Dalton, concelebrating and Deacons Bob Birkenfeld and Joe Hochstein, assisting. Burial will be in Holy Family Cemetery.
 
Jerome Brockman was born in Nazareth on April 3, 1928, the son of Edward and Agnes Brockman. After attending Nazareth schools through eighth grade, he attended St. John’s Seminary in San Antonio, where he completed high school and attended college for one year.
 
Brockman married the former Margaret Ann Schacher on April 24, 1950 at Holy Family Church.  
 
On Oct. 2, 1977, Brockman was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Amarillo by then-Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco at St. Laurence Cathedral (now St. Laurence Church), Amarillo. He was assigned to Holy Family Church, Nazareth, where he served until his retirement from active ministry on March 24, 2014. According to his family, he relished teaching Bible classes and enabling young and old to enter the Catholic Faith through baptisms and RCIA classes.
 
In addition to his church involvement, Deacon Brockman was active in a number of civic organizations, serving on the board of directors for Dimmitt Agri Industries and Plains Memorial Hospital Board. He was instrumental in developing several community projects, including the Nazareth Lion’s Club, the Nazareth German Festival, the Holy Family Church Christmas Pageant, the Dimmitt Gazebo and the City of Nazareth Park, for which he built the water wheel. Other notable community included leadership roles in the Knights of Columbus and the PTA as well as being a dedicated blood donor and advocate.
 
According to his family, some of Deacon Brockman’s cherished experiences were visiting Rome and the Holy Land, receiving Holy Communion from St. John Paul II in Des Moines, Iowa and spending time with his children and extended family. After retiring from farming, he worked at Ed Harris Lumber Company and Dimmitt Ready Mix. Additionally, he managed the Sears Catalog Store in Dimmitt and sold insurance for Catholic Life Insurance.
 
His family added that Deacon Brockman enjoyed reading, making wooden toys (lots of wooden toys!), playing cards (winning his last card game, played only two days prior to his death) and games with family, working word and jigsaw puzzles and as he would often say, “I just like to fix things.”  

Deacon Brockman was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Margaret; four siblings, Regina Steffens, Rita Book, Tom Brockman and Phillip “Bip” Brockman; and a daughter-in-law, Kathleen Brockman.
 
Survivors include seven children, Jim Brockman of Hereford, Geri Russell and her husband Ron and Paul Brockman, all of Canyon, Kathy Yarbrough and her husband Calvin of Fredericksburg, Joe Brockman and his wife Margie of Bulverde, Ken Brockman and his wife Mary of Mesa, Ariz. and Teresa Sewell and her husband Kelly of Nazareth; a sister, Irene “Chunky” Wilhelm of Nazareth; a brother, Cyril “Stump” Brockman and his wife Mitzie of Nazareth; two sister-in-laws, Elsie Schilling of Slaton and Judy Brockman of Lazbuddie; 18 grandchildren, Kyle, Tyson and Matthew Russell, Robert, Libby Matthews, Chris and Brian Brockman, Amy Mullins and Chad Yarbrough, Ryan, Cavan and Tyler Brockman, Natalie and Kate Brockman and Evan, Ian, Oran and Upton Sewell; 10 great grandchildren, Garrett, Connor, Maddox and Mick Russell, Ava Mullins,  Andrew, Colin and Brylee Matthews, Francis Brockman and Silas Smith; and numerous nieces and nephews.