June 29, 1965 ~ July 28, 2021 (age 56)
Brock Borman, of Boulder, Colorado, lost his life in a traffic accident on July 27th, 2021. He was 56 years old. Brock was born June 29th, 1965, in Alton, Il. Brock's humor kind of all started when our mom had a conversation with Brock about him calling her Gayle instead of Mom. Unconventional as it was it somehow stuck and so we called our Mom and Dad by their first names Gayle and Bob respectively.
Brock's fire for unconventional humor had just been lit. We moved to Wood River in the mid 70’s to 510 Hamilton. Sports was everything to Brock growing up and he played about everything you could think of from baseball, darts, ping pong, basketball, tennis/cork ball, to golf. Although not a sport, canasta was played very competitively too. He started specializing in tennis in his early teens found his passion. Brock played tennis and lettered all 4 years at EAWR. Full scholarships to play 2 years at LCCC and 2 years at SIUE enabled him to get his BA in marketing.
He then went to Chicago to teach tennis as an instructor at the AC Nielson Tennis Ctr in Winnetka, IL for a couple of years. Travel was important to him, so he decided to take some time and travel the country. He ended up in Steamboat Springs, CO being a ski instructor for a season working with the younger skiers. Boulder, CO was always his dream destination since we visited as young kids and he briefly moved there before being offered a position at Zipatoni, a marketing firm in St. Louis. There he learned Photoshop software which became his humoristic toolbox for the rest of his life. He worked there for a couple of years, but he had always yearned to be back in Boulder. In 2001 he moved to Colorado permanently.
He worked at Circle Graphics in Longmont, CO for more than a decade while also teaching tennis to several Boulderers. He was also playing a burgeoning sport called platform tennis and developing a real passion for it. He finally decided to get out of the 9 to 5 rut when our mother turned ill so he decided to move home for a stint to care for her in her final weeks. When firmly back in Boulder he focused on developing platform tennis in the Denver area. He and a partner bought a court and had it re-built at Meadow Creek Club in Denver. He helped form leagues and developed new people into the sport by also teaching tennis players to take up platform tennis in the winter.
He also occasionally worked for a company that built courts all over the northern half of the country. This enabled Brock to be in table tennis (ping pong) and platform tennis leagues during the week at night while still instructing regular tennis lessons during the day. Brock always left you smiling… He had a way of saying things that might make you shake your head at times, but he always had good intentions and you knew it. Thusly you were able to laugh about it with him. Brock was all about laughter. Sometimes laughing at you, but mostly the humor came at his own expense. For example often creating goofy photoshopped pictures of himself and sometimes friends.
Brock will be sorely missed by countless people. Brock always made a point of connecting with you. He loved his friends and maintaining those friendships was paramount. Several people have commented on Brock’s insistence to stop by and visit them in person rather than electronically and usually without notice. That was him alright. So many will miss having their routines interrupted by a knock at the door from Brock. Two final things: there are many people who are just regular and common ingredients in life.
Brock would be the spice to make what was once bland have more flavor. And finally, if wealth were measured by the number of friends one had… Brock surely was rich beyond measure. Take care brother. Brock is survived by his father Bob Borman, of Wood River, IL, his brother Braun Borman, his niece Cameryn Borman, and his nephew Cooper Borman, of Austin, TX.
Brocks’ life will be celebrated with two separate memorials. The first in Boulder, CO on August 21st and the second in Alton, IL on August 28th. For more information on the Boulder, CO memorial, please email [email protected]. The Alton, IL memorial will be held at The Lovejoy Weddings and Events in Alton, IL (formerly known as Elijah P’s Burgers and Brews) on Saturday, August 28th, from 5pm – 7pm.
