Brock , Kenneth S.

Kenneth Sumner Brock, 95, died on August 29, 2021, at the Seabury Retirement Community in Bloomfield, CT, after coping with the limitations of Parkinson’s disease for several years. He was born in 1926, in Woburn, MA, the elder son of Hazel and Earl Brock. He leaves his beloved wife of 62 years, Anne (Hunt) Brock; his children Charles and wife Heidi (Biggs) Brock, and Lelia and husband Stuart Alexander; and three grandchildren, Theodore and Emily Alexander and Samuel Brock.

Ken graduated in 1944 from Woburn High School and in 1948 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was in the Navy V-12 program. He loved his years at MIT and was a leader in many organizations, including student government. He founded the Undergraduate Public Relations Committee and helped publicize MIT’s contributions to victory in WWll. He was proud to be a member of Osiris, a senior honorary society. He received the Bronze Beaver award for outstanding contributions to the MIT community. Ken was Class Agent for 15 years, Vice-President of his class for 20 years, Reunion Chairman for many reunions, and a

member of the MIT Clubs of New York City, Westchester County (NY), and Hartford, CT.

Ken began his working career in Sales & Advertising for several Hi-Fi electronics companies. Ken’s passion for fund raising began in 1963 when he joined the MIT Alumni Fund, soon becoming its Director. He subsequently was promoted to major positions in the MIT Development Office. After 15 years at MIT he moved to New York as Vice-President for Development of the

Institute of International Education; from there to the New York Hospital—Cornell Medical Center; and then to Polytechnic University in Brooklyn as Vice-President for Development and Alumni Affairs. He and Anne retired in 1986 to North Truro, MA.

Wherever Ken lived, he served his community. In Medfield, MA, he volunteered on the town Finance Committee. While in Pleasantville, NY, Ken helped develop a planned giving program for the United Church of Christ. Ken’s Truro activities included eight years as

Chair of the Truro Planning Board and as representative to the Cape Cod Commission. He was on the boards of the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, the Cape Cod Foundation, and the Cape Cod Hospital. He enthusiastically shared his fundraising expertise with many other organizations on the Cape. He helped the Cape Cod National Seashore prepare its Long-Range Management Plan and develop the Highland Center for the Arts and Environment. Ken and Anne found time to travel extensively to see new places and to visit friends. In 1998, Ken and Anne were recognized as Truro Citizens of the Year.

In 2009 Ken and Anne moved to the Seabury Retirement

Community. Eager to continue sharing his experience, he joined the Seabury Charitable Foundation. He

founded the “Mug Club,” an informal gathering for men to socialize and solve the problems of the world. He introduced the sport of bocce at Seabury. He was a

member of the Old Guard Men’s Club in West Hartford. Ken loved squash, and he played tennis until he was

almost 90. He was an avid fan of all the New England sports teams, and he enjoyed making an annual pilgrimage to Fenway Park. He was proud of his children and took great pleasure in his grandchildren. He never let the progress of his Parkinson’s disease interfere with his determined will to live as fully as possible. There will be a memorial service, time and location to be determined. Memorial gifts may be made in Ken’s memory to the Seabury Charitable Foundation, 100 Seabury Drive, Bloomfield, CT 06002 or the Cape Cod Community Foundation, c/o Kenneth & Anne Brock Fund, 261 Whites Path, South Yarmouth, MA 02644.