Silver Story: Tom Brock
Tom Brock
"Never Give Up!"
This month's Silver Story is extra special as it is an opportunity for me, Peggy, to honor my brother Tom. Of course, I am biased. To me, my brother Tom is a super hero. We were raised in family of 9 children and learned to mind our manners, work hard, and be self sufficient from an early age. It is difficult to put into words the respect I have for my brother. This article is dedicated to his strong yet gentle way of staying and enjoying the course of life
Tom is an outdoor guy. Hunting with a bow and arrow or gun, fishing, camping and woodworking are his joys. He has helped 21 boys to obtain their Eagle Scout status. Some of Tom’s best outdoor adventures included hiking in West Virginia with a group of scouts and adventures into Canada with his friends that were only accessible by a small plane. He served as a Scout Master, an Assistant Merit Badge Counselor, and was responsible for the camping equipment used by his scout troop. He certainly was a role model to many to respect and care for nature. Tom became interested in woodworking when he was a teenager, making his first table. Gradually over time, he honed his craft making many beautiful wooden bowls, inlaid boxes, various ornamental and household items, and was a very active member of his woodworking club. One project he is especially proud of is the complete reconstruction his first house. Tom has a deep appreciation of the qualities of different woods and how to showcase those characteristics in various projects, stains, and finishes. Tom is an ongoing learner, reading leadership books and tips from influential experts such as Dale Carnegie.
His work career involved the supervision of delivery of medical gasses to various medical facilities and patients' homes. He worked at ILMO for 48 years working through many challenges, opening a store, traveling often to assist other sites and to learn about best practices in his industry. He touched the lives of many people in need of help as well as his coworkers. One thing for sure, you always know where Tom stands on an issue. He has a knack of seeing things clearly and calling things as they are and with a sense of humor!
Looking forward to retirement, Tom was dealt a heavy blow with the diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He has worked hard to continue every effort to be self-sufficient and then to adjust to what he can no longer do. He says every day with ALS is a challenge. As he continues to work through the obstacles he faces, he says that he is learning to let go of a lot of stuff he can no longer control. The determined and kind way he deals with this “letting go” is remarkable.
In the documentary “Super Man: the Christopher Reeve Story”, Christopher Reeve says his definition of a hero "is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." To me, my brother fits this definition completely. Tom’s battle against ALS and his courage to face his situation is very inspiring to all who know and love him.
Tom's motto is "Never give up!" and his message to upcoming generations is "Put the cell phone down and go out and discover nature!" True to his motto and message, Tom helped create two large troll sculptures in Lincoln Memorial Gardens in Springfield, Il as part of the 2021-2022 Springfield Art Association High School Public Art Sculpture Troll Camp which involved a group of high school students and many volunteers. The idea of the troll sculpture was to showcase the growth and life of a tree. How fitting, considering how much Tom appreciates the value and beauty of trees and their woods. Below are pictures of the trolls but they do not do them justice. Not only are they huge, but the detail of the various wood placements is amazing! I hope you can take a field trip to Springfield to see them in person.
https://www.nprillinois.org/community-voices-2021/2021-07-24/springfield-art-association-talks-public-art-in-springfield-community-voices
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news-opinion/fun-public-art-13815813
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/another-troll-comes-to-springfield
https://www.wandtv.com/news/new-troll-sculpture-finds-a-home-in-springfield-park/article_abf4d3ae-d95c-11eb-b4e3-ef858bc41245.html
Our family is blessed with Tom and he has certainly made a positive impact in our world, inspiring scouts, respecting the value and beauty of the natural world, encouraging his friends and family, and by being an example of hope and courage in the face of personal difficulty: a hero of the very best kind!
Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center Autumn 2022 Newsletter describing the troll sculpture project.
