James Walter Brock

James "Jim" Walter Brock, known to his family as "Poppy", passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 12, 2026, at his home at Montereau, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, just days after celebrating his 87th birthday. In the final days of his life, Jim was doing the things he loved most: playing racquetball with friends, shooting an unusually good 79 on the golf course, praying with loved ones, and spending time with family watching Texas Tech basketball. It was a full and joyful end to a life lived with energy, curiosity, and purpose.

Jim was born on March 3, 1939, to Pearl Emma Brock and James Boyd Brock in Shreveport, Louisiana. From an early age, sports were a central part of Jim's life. His parents were athletes, and their love for competition quickly became his own. Jim was good at almost any sport, at any level, anywhere. This sparked Jim's drive to achieve at the highest levels, both in sports and in business. He often reminded others that progress comes from getting back up and trying again. He received a football scholarship to attend Texas Tech University, where he studied engineering. Jim's passion for his alma mater never faded, and he remained an ardent Texas Tech supporter throughout his life.

Jim began his professional career at General Electric. He enjoyed talking about how he worked on the first electric-powered vehicle! Jim moved his family to many cities before settling in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here, he built a career as a Certified Financial Planner ® with Ameriprise Financial and partnered with several advisors to form a Private Wealth Advisory Practice. Jim thrived helping clients plan for their futures and celebrating their achievements together. His success earned him invitations to the annual Ameriprise Chairman's Advisory Council trips for the top 100 advisors in the country. These were opportunities he loved because they allowed him to travel the world and bring family members along for vacations and shared adventures. Later, Jim was the seventh advisor to be inducted into the Ameriprise Circle of Success Hall of Fame.

Every great man has a partner supporting them, who is great in their own right. He met Mary Brock when they were in the fourth grade. Over the decades, they built a partnership full of playful debate and a mutual talent for nudging each other toward new challenges and adventures. Mary supported Jim during career transitions by moving their family and home whenever needed. Jim supported Mary when she returned to college at age 48 to complete her art degree and pursue a career as a professional artist. He was especially proud to be the patron of her oil paintings and family portraits, which now hang in the homes of their children and grandchildren.

Together, Jim and Mary raised two sons, Beau and Brandt Brock. Both inherited their father's love of sports and played football. In one of the most meaningful chapters of Jim's life, Beau and Brandt later joined their father in the financial advisory business in Tulsa, continuing the work he loved and building a family legacy together.

Jim stayed active and social throughout his life. In addition to golf, he exercised religiously at the Saint Francis Health Zone, enjoying frequent racquetball and pickleball games with friends. Jim became a believer and started to influence his family by prioritizing reformed faith and systematic theology in the churches they attended. Jim and Mary have been longtime members of Christ Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, attending faithfully every Sunday. He would say that he couldn't carry a tune or always remember the words to the hymns, but that never stopped him from making a joyful noise during worship.

He also loved taking his family to the circus and attending performances at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. In later years, Jim often joked that the key to staying young was to "not let the old man in," borrowing a favorite line from Toby Keith's song of the same name. He believed exercise could cure almost anything and remained convinced that making forward progress toward goals was one of the keys to staying alive and engaged with the world.

Jim is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Brock; his sons, Beau Brock and wife Michelle, and Brandt Brock and wife Cynthia; his grandchildren, Seth Brock and wife Hayden, Kendall Brock, Brooklyn Brock and husband Aron Romasanta, Mackensy and husband Nolan Cannon, Parker Brock, and Reagan Brock; and his great-grandson Nathaniel Brandt Cannon. He is also survived by his younger brother, Jerry Brock, and Jerry's wife, Dennis.

Those who knew Jim will remember his relentless optimism, his curiosity about the future, and his deep interest in the lives and goals of the people around him. His life was defined by his quiet, unshakable faith, and by a belief that every challenge carries the seed of something better.

In lieu of flowers, feel free to make a charitable donation in memory of Jim Brock, to Christ Presbyterian Church, specifically for missions, or to the International Languages Library, which is a non-profit his granddaughter started here in Tulsa.