In Loving Memory Of Reverend Ronald G. Brokaw

Fr. Brokaw has been a part of the Our Little Roses family for over twenty years! He believed in - and supported our mission of transforming and empowering girls in Honduras through education and love. In 2003, he began sponsoring Jessica Amador, who graduated from our program in 2015 and went on to graduate from law school. When Jessica left, he began sponsoring a little girl who had just arrived. Monserrat was just three at the time. Fr. Brokaw loved National Geographic magazines, which he lovingly saved and shipped to Honduras for the girls to use in projects and to learn about the world. We are forever grateful to have known this genuinely inspirational man - he will be dearly missed.

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The Rev. Ronald G. Brokaw passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, October 14, 2024. Born to Ed and Minnie Brokaw on January 12, 1930, in LaPlata, Missouri, Ronald was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jeanne M. Brokaw, in November 2013. He was known for his love of cooking, hosting gatherings, attending the opera, and enjoying vibrant conversation around the table with family and friends—always insisting, “You can never have too many dishes or glasses at a meal!”

Ronald spent his early years in LaPlata surrounded by the love of his grandparents, cherishing those memories. In 1942, he moved with his family to Kansas City, Missouri, where he completed high school and later earned an English degree from The University of Missouri at Kansas City. It was during this time that Ronald began attending St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Mission, Kansas—a connection that would shape his life.

St. Michael’s and the Diocese of Kansas sponsored Ronald to attend seminary at The Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. He graduated with a Master of Divinity on June 13, 1957, and was ordained a Deacon on June 22, 1957, at St. Michael’s. His first assignment was at St. James Episcopal Church in Wichita, where he was ordained a Priest on December 21, 1957. There, Ronald met Jeanne Jacoby, the Director of Christian Education; they married at St. James on November 23, 1959. Shortly after, they moved to Emporia, Kansas, where Ronald served as Rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and chaplain to college students, earning a Master’s in Education from Emporia State University along the way.

In 1968, Ronald was called to Winter Park, Florida, to help establish Trinity Preparatory School, where he took on multiple roles as a counselor, teacher, and senior advisor. It was during the 1970s that he also began volunteering with the Honduras outreach ministry, developing a lasting dedication to the Our Little Roses Orphanage. Though he retired from Trinity Prep in 1989, Ronald’s service continued; in 1990, he served as interim Rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lake Mary, Florida. He and Jeanne devoted themselves to the Honduras ministry, attending national conventions to raise awareness and support.

In the 1990s, Trinity Prep honored Ronald’s contributions by naming an education building after him. In 2013, Ronald and Jeanne moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, to be closer to their family. Ronald's family and friends meant the world to him. He is survived by his two sons, Lee and Paul (Margaret); Lee’s daughter, Jeanne, and granddaughter, Matilda; and Paul and Margaret’s daughters, Lynley (Robb) and Kathryn, along with grandson Darian. His beloved wife, Jeanne, who passed in 2013, remains a cherished part of his legacy, woven into his deep love for family, faith, and service.