Loretta Jean Brock

Loretta Jean (Meyer) Brock, known as "Gagi" to her children and grandchildren, passed away on September 25, 2023 at the age of 86. Loretta was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Edward Joseph Meyer and Jeanette Alice (Grace) Meyer. Loretta's younger sister is Veronica (Vicki) Beckman.Loretta grew up surrounded by a large, close and fun-loving family of aunts, uncles and cousins in St. Louis. In addition to being a teenager in the 50's and probably doing lots of things her children never heard about, she was riding horses, taking cross-country driving trips to Florida and California, boating in the Mississippi River, playing in the Kitchen Band, and excelling in school.Loretta was working as a secretary at Emerson Electric when she met Joe Franklyn Brock. He won a bet by asking her on a date and they were married in 1955. She continued working while Joe was attending the Missouri School of Mines in Rolla. Some of our family legends involve the humble early days of their marriage, when they lived in a clubhouse with no heat and then graduated to a camping trailer, surviving on trout caught by Joe and bags of groceries donated by Ed and Jean during their frequent visits.After graduation, Joe and Loretta moved to Alton, Illinois, where their children Joe Edward, Elisabeth Jean (Leandro) and Cheryl Lyn (Warden) were born. Loretta remained intertwined with her extended family and she had many fond memories of vacations and holidays together, especially the fun-filled weekends on the river at the clubhouse.In 1972, a job change moved Joe and Loretta to Upland, California. In 1974, they bought a small machine shop. Joe ran sales, Loretta did the payroll, and the kids and their cousins all had part-time jobs doing all kinds of secondary machining jobs that probably would not be allowed by OSHA today. This was the time when Loretta's true talents started to shine. She was a master of all things sewing, knitting, crafting, gluing, macrame-making and bedazzling. She was mostly unbeatable in any game that involved cards, vocabulary or speedy math. Her Rummikub invincibility is legendary to her grandchildren and their cousins today.The great joy of Loretta's life started in 1972 when she and Joe joined Red Hill Country Club. Loretta made many great friends at Red Hill over the years. She loved Ladies Day on the golf course and all of the many social events at the Club and at her friends' homes. She and Joe were a fixture on the course on Sunday mornings and loved traveling with their friends for tournaments. Golfing vacations were par for the course, of course. Although Joe, Lisa and Cheryl participated in a bit of the golfing part of those vacations, they secretly loved having their own mini-vacations while their parents were out on the course. Although Loretta's golf handicap may be forgotten, her love for her many friends at Red Hill will always be remembered.Once Gagi had grandchildren, some of her other talents emerged. Her mac and cheese, special rolls, bean soup and mandarin orange cake were legendary. Everyone has one of Gagi's knitted blankets and even some of the lucky pets have a Gagi blanket or two. Gagi was known for her sharp sense of humor, and her wit has passed through the generations.The last few years of Loretta's life were tough for her and everyone who loved her. We will forever be thankful for the caregivers who helped her through those years, and especially for Cindy, who was a true friend to Gagi all the way through her sunset.A private family celebration will be held close to Thanksgiving, which was always a special time for Gagi. One final serving of oyster dressing will be reserved for Gagi, even though she never liked it.Anyone wishing to make a remembrance of Loretta is welcome to make a donation to the Alzheimers Foundation of America in her name.