Paul Brockman

Paul Brockman

"The things that have mattered in life are love and the things you do for others."

Paul Robert Brockman, beloved husband, father and grandfather; church, government and community leader; died from Melanoma on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, surrounded by his family.

Mr. Brockman is survived by his wife of 47 years, Nancy Tilghman Edwards Brockman; daughter, Lauren Tilghman Brockman of Raleigh, North Carolina and her husband, John Balla, and their children, Lilly and Alex; daughter, Rebecca Fortner Brockman Zuvich of Raleigh, North Carolina and her husband, Paul, and their son, Elliot. He is also survived by his sister, Barbara Taylor and her husband, Laurence, and nieces, Linda, Sandy and Sheri.

He was born on May 5, 1934, in Girard, Kansas, the son of the Reverend Herbert Cecil Brockman, a Methodist Minister, and Naomi Fortner Brockman, a teacher.

Mr. Brockman was raised in Kansas, graduating from Shawnee-Mission High School in 1952, and from Baker University in 1959. While in college, he served as a supply minister for local Methodist churches. From 1956 until 1958, he served with the United States Army Intelligence Corps. In 1966, a NASA Career Education Award enabled him to pursue graduate study at The University of Virginia and to be named a Fellow of the National Institute of Public Affairs. He later received his M.A. in Government from The American University.

He joined the United States Public Health service in 1959, as a Congressional correspondent for the Indian Health Program. In 1960, he became field administrative officer for the National Health Survey. After postgraduate law studies at the University of Iowa, he joined NASA during the Apollo buildup in 1962.

In 1963, Mr. Brockman became executive assistant and resources management officer for NASA's development of science and applications activities for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. He provided support to the Science and Technology Advisory Committee for Manned Space Flight. He also served for eight years as a management consultant in the Apollo-to-Shuttle management transition and became NASA's first state, local and federal inter-governmental relations officer.

Mr. Brockman served an interim assignment with the United States Office of Education. One of his proudest accomplishments was helping the Commissioner obtain funding for the initiation of Sesame Street, against Congressional opposition.

Retiring from Federal service in 1985, Mr. Brockman became Vice President of LFW Management Associates, and President of Advanced Development Distribution, Inc. He continued to work in the areas of technology transfer and inter-governmental relations, including serving as an advisor to the state of Montana.

In retirement, Mr. Brockman was a part-time financial consultant helping young couples, a designer and builder of homes, and director of the fundraising plans for a new home for domestic violence victims in Charlottesville.

He served on the Falls Church City Council, Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and as Vice President of COG. Mr. Brockman founded Historic Falls Church, Inc., a building preservation firm. He preserved a Civil War fortification in Stafford County that is now on the national and state registers of historic places. He co-chaired the joint local-Federal committee for United States Bicentennial events.

He founded the United States Scottish Fiddling Revival, Ltd., and the annual United States National Scottish Fiddling Championships, helping grow the number of competent fiddlers in the Scottish style from a mere handful in America in the 1970's to about 1,000 today.

As a leader in the Episcopal church, he served on the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia from 2010, until the time of his death. He was an alternate Deputy to the General Convention in 2009, a vestry member of St. Paul's Memorial Church, Charlottesville, chair of its Centennial Committee and Junior Warden in 2009, and a delegate to the Diocesan Council from 2005 until 2010. He previously served on the vestry of Christ Episcopal Church, Georgetown, D.C., and as a lay reader and chalice bearer at both The Falls Church and at Christ Church, Alexandria.

Mr. Brockman was a Life Member of the St. Andrew's Society of Washington, D.C., Clan Donald USA, and of the University of Virginia Alumni Association. He was a member of the Beacon Club of Charlottesville, a Mason and holder of the 50-year pin from the Grand Lodge of Kansas, and 32nd degree in the Scottish Rite. He was past-president and former board member of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. He also served as President of the Virginia/North Carolina Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters, devoted to the development of young artists.

Mr. Brockman had a passion for genealogy and family history. He was one of the leading researchers of the descendants of the immigrant Henry Brockman, who came to America in 1667. His collection of materials on the family has been left to the Orange County, Virginia, Historical Society.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff at University of Virginia Medical Center 8-West, The Colonnades, Hospice of the Piedmont, and to family and friends for their kindness and compassion.

A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. at St. Paul's Memorial Church in Charlottesville on Friday, May 27, 2011. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul's Memorial Church, 1700 University Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22903; Orange County Historical Society, 130 Caroline Street, Orange, VA 22960; Baker University, Baldwin City, KS 66757; or Bonnie Rideout's Celtino Foundation, 8001 Candlewood Drive, Alexandria, VA 22306.

Friends may send condolences to his family at www.hillandwood.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.