James "Bob" Brock

JAMES ROBERT “BOB” BROCK

James Robert “Bob” Brock passed away unexpectedly on January 6th, 2024 in his home in Taos, NM at the age of 88. His wife of 63 years, Suzanne Meintzer Brock, was with him at the time.

Born in Midland, TX in 1935 to parents Glover Bruce (“GB”) Brock and Hazel Harmon Brock, Bob traveled with his family extensively, due to his father being in the US Army Air Corp. He lived throughout the US and in Newfoundland for a year. They eventually made it back to the states, and Bob settled in Easton, Maryland for a time with relatives. There he worked part-time on a farm while attending Easton High School, where he met Suzanne, the girl with the most beautiful soprano voice. Bob was an 11th grade graduate at Easton High School and then went on to Woodrow Wilson High School to graduate his final year in 1954. Returning to Easton after graduation, he asked his high school sweetheart Suzanne to her Prom, and they later married on June 11, 1960. They eventually moved from Easton to the Washington DC/Virginia area.

From 1954 to 1955, Bob studied Engineering at George Washington University and then joined the Virginia National Guard from 1958-1963. While in the Virginia area, Bob started his career in Golf Course Management and ran several DC area courses, including Oakcrest, East Potomac, Langston, and Rock Creek Park. East Potomac was commonly where many presidents and senators played. Bob was well regarded for his award-winning contributions to the field of golf course management, particularly for his use of organic rather than harsh chemicals. As his love for inventions and entrepreneurial endeavors increased over the years, he obtained several patents. His most well-known patents were for an irrigation system controller for golf courses and Brock-Crete, a type of new building material. He and Suzanne also owned a restaurant and night club in Falls Church, VA where Suzanne and her singing partner Jeananne Kane sang occasionally. He bought and ran Starlit Pools and Fairways for a brief stint, whose Swim Team turned out many US Olympic team hopefuls in the early 1980s.

After all his travels with his parents, Bob’s passion for seeing the world continued, only now with his wife by his side. Suzanne and Bob climbed Mt Kilimanjaro together and traveled several times throughout Africa, including Tunisia, Kenya, and Tanzania to follow the migration. Bob climbed Mt Cook in New Zealand and Ayres Rock in Australia. They also traveled to Egypt, France, India and Thailand, collecting several art pieces wherever they went for their home in Arlington, VA. Between their travels and Suzanne’s career as a singer, there was not time for children; however, they spent time with their extended family, including their niece, Susan Meintzer Anders of Selbyville, DE, her children Benjamin R. Anders and Abigail E. Anders, nephew, Dana E. Meintzer and wife Mary Jane Scott Meintzer of Easton, MD, their children Jeffrey Meintzer and Alec Meintzer, and nephew, Scott A. Meintzer of Easton, MD, and his children Taelor Meintzer Jones and Kaleigh Meintzer Leager.

In the mid 1980s, Bob and Suzanne started traveling to Taos, New Mexico. They fell in love with the area and eventually moved permanently in 1990, where they built a lovely home overlooking a Rio Grande tributary.  Ever the inventor, Bob tried his hand at starting a vineyard and tweaked his irrigation invention for that purpose, but was unsuccessful in bottling any wines from his efforts, due to the extremely dry soil conditions on his property. He was often seen feeding coyotes and birds and tinkering in his Brock-Crete greenhouse. They spent many years in their home and recently downsized to a smaller place, where they spent time together holding hands, sipping wine, reminiscing on all their travels and adventures, and surrounded by many friends and their beloved kitty.  Their love for each other was very special and quite remarkably beautiful.

Bob loved his many trips to Africa and donated to many animal causes throughout his lifetime. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the African Wildlife Foundation at www.awf.org. Cards can be sent to Suzanne Brock c/o Vista Hermosa at 2929 Calle Vera Cruz, Santa Fe, NM 87507.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home. To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com