Barbara Jane Brookover

1923 - 2020

Barbara Jane Brookover
1923 - 2020
Barbara Brookover "BJ", who inspired and encouraged the best in all of us, after 96 years departed this world on March 19, 2020. She lived a wonderful life, full of family, great friends and amazing adventures.
BJ was the 5th child born to Anna & Millard Pavlat on a cattle ranch in western Nebraska. Her beginning was a life rich with all the textures of typical Americana: hard work, limited resources and collaboration with others to succeed. Barbara attended school in the small town of Sunol, Nebraska and graduated as the class Valedictorian. In 1941 following the devastation of the Dust Bowl years, her parents moved to Idaho where land was for sale for $1 an acre. They settled in SE Boise and lived for many years in a little white house with a big porch on Broadway Avenue. After attending Boise Junior College for a year, BJ focused both her career and volunteer work on aiding the war effort. She joined Consolidated Freight as one of the first female Rate Clerks in the business of shipping essential goods. She volunteered with the Minute Maids selling war bonds and raised money for the Red Cross. In 1944, BJ moved to California to help her sister, Jean who was widowed during the war. She finished her Batchelor of Science degree in Business Administration at San Jose State University and became a member of the Delta Zeta sorority.
After the war, BJ and a friend embarked on a car tour of the U.S. , during which she stopped and worked for 6 months in New York City at a talent agency representing some of the greats like Red Skelton. She loved NYC and working in the entertainment business. Upon returning to Boise, BJ met the love of her life, J. Gordon Brookover. They married in 1952 and had two children, Gary and Hollis. Over the years, she and Gordon worked tirelessly to build and expand their business, Brookover's clothing stores for women. Gordon was the consummate salesman. BJ was the accounting wizard of the team. Demands of a family business notwithstanding, they did find time to fulfill a concurrent passion for travel all over the world. Their house on Hillcrest View is still packed with curiosities collected from Asia, Europe and South America. BJ was a member of the Boise Junior League, a volunteer at the Methodist Church and was a full participant in all of her children's activities. She loved snow-skiing, playing golf and BRIDGE!!! She was the loving glue for our entire family, a scrapbooker extraordinaire and kept everyone in the family abreast of all the goings-on for the last 45 years in her weekly hand written letter that she called the "Ho Hum".
BJ was our angel. She was always there to give comfort, courage and emotional support. BJ had immense compassion for those who were less fortunate or suffering. If you would like to honor BJ, please donate to a charity of your choice in her honor. BJ is survived by her husband, J. Gordon Brookover, son Gary (Linda Jensen), daughter Hollis (Milt Gillespie), grandsons, John Brookover and Samuel Gillespie, granddaughters Shannon Mason (Travis) and Lindsey Jensen, great granddaughter Robbi Mason, and many wonderful nieces, nephews and their kids. We hope to have the opportunity to properly celebrate BJ's special life at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is behind us.