Herb Brochstein
July 14, 1927-January 16, 2013
When asked who I admire most, my answer has always been the same. My grandpa. When asked why, my answer has always been that he worked hard for everything he had and created something known across the world. The drumstick company showed me that you can take an idea, work hard, and turn it into something wonderful.
It doesn’t stop there though. I admire him for more than creating a successful business. I admire him for always trying to teach me things and shape me into a responsible person. I remember visiting my grandparents at the house on Loch Lomond and my grandpa sitting Jennifer and me down to tell us different stories. They would always end with a moral.
One story that I think everyone fondly remembers as the “bridge story,” is one that I will pass down to future generations. He told this story every time we drove to Galveston. It had to do with a drunk person driving off the (insert name) bridge. The story always ended with the driver drowning, and every time Grandpa would add that the car drowned too. I can’t drive over the causeway without thinking of that and smiling (not because someone drowned, but because that was Grandpa’s way of telling us not to drink and drive).
While writing this I thought about all the good times like going to the circus, visiting him at work (for some reason this was a big deal for me), and enjoying magic shows at my birthday parties (couldn’t have a slumber party without the “bra trick”).
Those moments don’t even scratch the surface of the impact he had on me. He’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it is very difficult for me to imagine a world without him. He’s helped me out when I was in trouble and been there to celebrate my successes. I have always loved him, respected him, and held him in a high regard (yes, even when he was lecturing me about my finances).
In my adult life Grandpa would always tell me that he wasn’t a smart man. I believe the opposite to be true. He did many exciting things and accomplished a lot in 85 years. Not only that, he touched many lives and inspired others to do great things. I can only hope that one day I am able to say the same.
