He wants to improve Tempe’s cemetery while he can
Second of two parts.
The Double Butte Cemetery in Tempe stretches across 40 acres, part of it grassy and tree-lined, the older sections left in natural desert landscape.
It’s where many of the city’s pioneers and civic leaders are buried, including
Gov. John Howard Pyle, who once called the cemetery “Tempe’s Arlington.” It’s also where the damage is the worst.
So much of the city’s history is here, Jerry Brock said as he walked among graves of governors, city leaders, doctors, teachers and veterans.
People from various ethnic groups were buried alongside one another at a time when that was uncommon, generations of the Arredondos, Arbizus, and Valenzuelas, as well as Native people and Japanese-Americans, evidence of how they worked and lived together.
Brock, who has purchased his own plot in the cemetery, has seen some improvements to the grounds lately, but he’s intent on doing more. He donated $10,000 to the Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation to create an improvement plan.
He wants to partner with the city and private donors and match what others give. As a successful Tempe business owner, he already donates money to the city every year for projects and to community organizations.
It started when he was young businessman. He would read a newspaper story about a child hit by a car, clip out the article and send it with $100 to the family.
“I’ve always tried to do things for other people,” he said. “I don’t think I’m a saint or anything.”
As his business grew, Brock gave more. He hadn’t known the cemetery was in such disrepair until he put his gravestone there. He wants to help preserve his city’s history.
“I’m not going to leave this earth without leaving some of that money to other people,” Brock said.
He can’t take it with him, but he can keep some of it close by.