James E. Brock

James ‘Jim’ Brock was born June 18, 1926 to Joseph ‘Jody' Brock and and Marcie Fain Brock in Vernon, Texas. He had one older brother, Warner. Jim attended school in Vernon and went on to graduate from the University of Texas.

During WW II Jim served in the Navy on the USS Robert L Wilson, a destroyer class ship where he patrolled the Mediterranean. He wanted to join the Air Corps, along with his brother, and learn to fly but his mother didn’t want two aviators in the family.

Jim married Donna Leta Bell on November 24, 1949 at the home of her sister Keta and her husband Dean who was also Jim’s best friend. The two couples spent many a vacation together. Jim and Donna were blessed with two sons, David and Monty and one daughter, Marsha.

While living in Austin teaching math at the University of Texas he saw an ad in the paper from a new company called IBM doing something with computers. He thought there might be something to it and launched a lifelong career.

The family moved with others from around the country to start a church in New England. It was so beautiful they stayed for 25 years before moving back to Texas. While living there he and Donna started JEB Systems, a software company.

Yes, he finally learned to fly while living in Austin and then took it to the next level in Franconia, New Hampshire where he learned to fly gliders. He earned his endurance badge in a glider after a five hour flight. He was so stiff after that flight they had to help him out of the airplane.

The family lived in Austin and Bedford, Massachusetts and after the nest was empty Jim and Donna lived in the mountains of New Hampshire and in later years in Arkansas and the DFW area. They also spent time living in San Antonio as part of Monty and Tina’s family before moving into assisted living together. Later, Jim lived with his daughter Marsha before moving back to Meadowood Assisted Living in Grapevine

He was a life long learner; he always wanted to learn more about everything. One of his most passionate pastimes was gardening. The table was blessed year round with the fruits of his labor.

One of Jim’s joys over the last few years was reconnecting with his nephews and their families. He would laugh long and hard at the Brock Boys stories.

Jim is survived by his children; David, Marsha, and Monty. Five grandchildren; Micah, Matthew, Hannah, Marcie and Madeline. Four great grandchildren; Liam, Anna, Parker and Peyton. He was also close to his daughter-in-law Tina, and his grand-daughters-in-law Michelle and Lindsay, and grand son-in-law Eliot.

Graveside Services will be held Friday Dec 15th at Dallas - Fort Worth National Cemetary at 9:30 where he will be laid to rest with his wife Donna. Lucas Funeral Home in Grapevine will be presiding over the service. Bill Cobb will officiate. A Celebration of Life will follow the service at Meadowood Assisted Living in Grapevine, TX.

Jim always joked he wanted his gravestone to say “Here lies a man who loved bread”. While that would have been a fitting epitaph, because he did indeed love his bread, we thought a great description of his life is “Kind and Gentle, Loved by All.”

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”