Loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Sandra Ford Brock, 73, of Hopkinton, N.H., passed away peacefully on March 14, 2013 at her home while in the arms of her family following a lengthy illness.
Sandra was born on October 24, 1939 in Philadelphia, PA, daughter of Chandler and Elsa Ford.
She was raised and educated in Philadelphia, graduating from the Germantown Friends School in 1958. She attended Mary Washington University for two years in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1960, she married a young Marine Officer named David Brock. Following their marriage, they resided in Jacksonville, N.C., where Sandra was a teacher in the local grade school.
In 1961, they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where David attended the University of Michigan Law School. In 1963, they moved to Manchester, N.H., where they resided until moving to Hopkinton with their children in 1974.
Sandra, an avid gardener, was a member of the Manchester and Hopkinton Garden Clubs. She also was a longtime member of the Hopkinton Women’s Club, serving as its President from 1987-1989.
She spent a great deal of her spare time turning her 250 year old L-cape into the warmest and most inviting home for her numerous children and grandchildren to congregate on special occasions.
Sandra was very athletic and had a fair-minded competitive spirit. She enjoyed smacking the little yellow ball at high velocities and she and her partners won many Tennis matches individually and in concert. Her exploits were not limited to purely physical athleticism, she also took great delight in what often became spirited Bridge matches with her friends. She was quite proficient and often came home with the victorious glint in her eye and the first prize homemade jams and preserves, which her children enjoyed immensely.
Sandra loved the many travels that she and her husband took during his years as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire. She would make life long friends everywhere she went and always kept in touch.
Sandra was an avid reader with a particular focus on Murder Mystery Novels, counting the skill and humor of author Agatha Christie as one of her favorites. She had recently upgraded to an Amazon Kindle, and often commented on its convenience at her reading group.
She was a fantastic cook and hostess, taking great delight in planning social gatherings, making complex events seem effortless and proceed without a hitch. She threw many Spring parties bringing the neighborhood and their many friends together to celebrate the yearly renewal. But most of all she was the most wonderful wife and mother. Always able to quote classic literature from memory for any given situation. She took her role as “homemaker” with all the seriousness of a fortune 500 CEO, and would never hesitate to make sure things went back where they belonged.
She continued most of these activities until her health became a barrier, but even then always kept her cheerful disposition.
Her surviving family members include her husband of 53 years, David Brock of Hopkinton, N.H.; her three daughters Kimberly Rouleau of Hopkinton, N.H., Tamara Segal of Lucas, TX, and Megan Brock of Alexandria, VA; her two sons Frederick Brock of Colebrook, N.H. and Bill Brock of Denton, TX; her sister Diane Heebner of Telford, PA and her brother Chandler Ford Jr. of Morristown, N.J. She also has thirteen wonderful grand children.
She is predeceased by her daughter Deborah Cockrill of Herndon, VA.
Services: A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church in Hopkinton, NH on the first day of Spring, Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 2pm and will be followed by a reception.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to the American Red Cross, 2 Maitland Street, Concord, NH 03801.
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