George F. Brocke

8/22/1930 — 11/23/2023

• Service Date: 12/14/2023
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George F. Brocke passed away peacefully Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, in Clarkston, of natural causes. He was 93 years old.

Born Aug. 22, 1930, to parents George and Emma. George was a lifelong resident of Kendrick. He attended Kendrick High School where he was a standout player on both the basketball and football teams. George was on the very first Kendrick team to earn the state championship title for basketball. He often spoke of these times with fondness, even mentioning visiting with a past basketball opponent one week before his passing.

George married Helen Lee Harris April 7, 1947, to whom he was proudly married for 66 years until her death Oct. 27, 2013. Helen was the love of his life, and he cherished their life together. They had one son, Dean Harris Brocke.

George started full-time employment at George F. Brocke and Sons (Brocke and Sons) in 1950, which was the year the company was established by his father in Kendrick, ID. In 1959, Brocke and Sons was incorporated and he was named president/manager which he remained until his retirement in 1997. George was a celebrated business leader in his field, winning many awards and serving on several committees throughout his career. Most notably he served as the president of the Pea and Lentil Association and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the same association.

During his time at Brocke and Sons, George traveled extensively with Helen by his side. They visited nearly every continent. On their very first overseas trip to Taiwan, George was introduced to a machine that would remove the skin of a bean. He immediately had the foresight of removing the skin of the red lentil that was being researched at Washington State University at the time. He had the machine shipped home to Kendrick and after some experimenting, started marketing the popular Red Chief Lentils. Another memorable trip was traveling to China when he met Senator Frank Church and five other senators, one being a young (then Senator) Joe Biden.

When asked to describe George, the words most often used are kind, loving, generous, humble and community-minded. He loved his community and gave his time and support in many ways. George was a Charter Member of the Lions Club which started in 1953, one Lions Club project he was instrumental in was the overhaul of the Kendrick City Park. He also served on the city council, served a term as mayor of Kendrick, and spent several years as the fire chief of the Kendrick Volunteer Fire Department.

George was also a devoted Christian and his faith was important to him throughout his life. He spoke often of his church family and the comfort and support that they provided.

In his younger years George loved to hunt and fish and took his son Dean camping often. He and Helen were avid “rockhounds” and had a large rock collection of rocks gathered from all over the region. He loved music and watching his favorite sports teams, but above all else he adored his family. He was a very hands-on father, grandfather and even great-grandfather, making certain to attend everyone’s events.

George is preceded in passing by his parents (George Sr. and Emma), his beloved wife Helen and his brother M. Eugene. He is survived by his son Dean, and wife Janice, granddaughter Deena Brocke Gibbs, and husband Mark, and great-grandson, Sam Gibbs; grandson Berton Brocke, and wife Jami, and great-granddaughters Megan Brocke and Carli Boyle (husband Jared) and great-grandson, Cody Taylor, and daughter in-law, Lynda Brocke. George is also survived by his brother Darrel.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Lewiston First United Methodist Church, 1906 Broadview Drive, Lewiston. It is suggested in lieu of flowers contributions be made to one of local Kendrick charities of your choice.

Service Information

Date & Time

Thursday, December 14, 11:00 AM

Location

First United Methodist Church
1906 Broadview Drive
Lewiston, Idaho 83501

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