Pat Brock, the longtime Maricopa educator and historian who died in August at the age of 80, would have been a bit uncomfortable with the accolades that accompanied her passing.

“She would be a little embarrassed but smile, nod her head and be very appreciative,” said Brenda Campbell, who moved to the city in 2006 and teamed with Brock and others to form the Maricopa Historical Society. “Pat was about recognizing others, not being recognized.”

Brent Murphree, a former Maricopa vice mayor and close friend of the Brock family since his younger days, agreed.

“Pat would step back because she would not want to be the center of attention. She always wanted history, the story of Maricopa, to be the center of attention,” he said, chuckling before adding, “The way she did it, without bringing attention to herself, ultimately brought attention to herself.”

Brock, in many ways, was the one who told the story of Maricopa, publishing multiple books highlighting the city’s history.

But first and foremost, she was an elementary school teacher in Maricopa for 25 years who then spent five years as district curriculum director before retiring. Whether working in the classroom or the community, her approach was the same.

Shirley (Dunn) Kelly said she knew Brock for many years and had the opportunity to interact with her in various ways.

“She taught my children,” Kelly said. “The kids all loved her. She taught to a child’s needs. Pat didn’t have to raise her voice. She got more out of being quiet. She would fold her arms and look serious. That got more results than somebody who screamed and yelled.”

Campbell said Brock had a nature that garnered respect from everyone.

“Pat was very personable, patient and soft-spoken. She was never firm; she didn’t have to be,” Campbell said. “She just had the respect of people. She was a people person, very kind-hearted.”

Brock’s many accomplishments included authoring several books chronicling Maricopa’s history. Two volumes of “Reflections on a Desert Town” and 2010’s “Images of America: Maricopa” were the result of extensive interviews and research by Brock. In the 1980s, her fourth-grade students were major contributors to the city’s first history book, “Maricopa Our Town.”

Raymond Nieves, a lifelong Maricopa resident and local business owner, was among those students.

“That was one of my favorite classes as a kid. At the time, we did not know she was working on a book.” Nieves recalled. “She was an awesome teacher; she touched so many lives in positive ways.

“In fourth grade, kids were just that — kids,” he continued. “She had a way of making us feel like young adults. She held us to a higher standard. I felt like we were at a higher level. She helped mold us, showed us the meaning of hard work — do the hard work and it will pay off.”

Educational focus
Growing up, Murphree and others were on a competitive swim team based in Phoenix. Brock was among the parents who drove the local team members to Chandler once or twice a week for practice.

“You get a little more bonded with someone (in those circumstances),” he said. “Pat was pleasant, even paced and just the nicest person.”

Murphree followed Brock as the second president of the Maricopa Historical Society.

“She took that teacher’s approach to things,” he said. “She got her students involved in their own history and loved to bring Arizona heritage to life for kids.”

Recounting the variety of cultures and backgrounds he experienced as a student, prior to the city’s growth and expansion, Murphree added: “Pat wanted to make sure everybody knew Maricopa was a good, diverse community where people learned from each other.”

Education remained at the forefront for Brock after her retirement.

“She cultivated a lot of artifacts,” Murphree noted. “She had a Maricopa High School yearbook from every single year, lettermen’s jackets and other education resources. She was a stalwart resource for all of Maricopa’s history.”

Dedicated to her craft
Brock, raised in Maricopa with 11 siblings, was a 1961 graduate of Maricopa High School. Her three sons all graduated from the school and her husband, Harry, was the local postman for four decades.

A second devastating flood in 1991 prompted the Brocks to move their home out of Maricopa. But it didn’t change their commitment to the community.

“Although they physically moved, her heart never left Maricopa,” Campbell said. “She loved our city and always had a presence here.

“Pat’s heart was always in history. That was her passion, having conversations, doing oral histories and videotaping them.”

Kelly witnessed Brock’s work firsthand. Her father, Sonny, was a cotton farmer for more than 50 years and six generations of the Dunn family have called Maricopa home.

“She interviewed me one time about my mom and dad,” Kelly said. “She worked relentlessly on that. I’m not sure how many tapes she had (with similar interviews). Pat was steadfast. When she did something, she was patient and persevered until she got it done.”

Special honor
Brock’s impact was felt in many ways and will continue for years to come.

Nieves said many young people wanted to leave Maricopa when he was growing up.

“I never felt that way,” he said. “She was big on the community. (Brock and other teachers) wanted you to succeed; they wanted to help you.”

Long before her death, the Historical Society’s board of directors voted to recognize Brock’s many contributions in its soon-to-open museum and visitors center. The first compartment in the restored Silver Horizons railcar that was part of the California Zephyr train will be dedicated in her name, Campbell said.

“Pat was my teacher (as a role model),” Campbell concludes. “She is the reason I became involved in history.”

And the reason many Maricopans know the history of their hometown.

 

This content was first published in the October edition of InMaricopa magazine.