Obituary of Katherine Joanne Brokaw

JoAnne Brokaw, 87, passed away peacefully at her Dominican Oaks home in Santa Cruz on December 14, following a brief illness. Born Katherine JoAnne Gabel in Fort Lupton, Colorado, she was a resident of Santa Cruz and Aptos for 57 years.

 

JoAnne left her parents’ Fort Lupton farm at age 17 to train as a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Denver. She earned her R.N. diploma there in 1952. A few years later, she met Bill Brokaw of Whittier, California, who became her husband of 60 years. JoAnne and Bill married in 1955 and moved to Ojai, California, where JoAnne continued her nursing career. They relocated to Santa Cruz in 1961 and settled in Aptos in 1968. JoAnne joined the nursing staff of Dominican Hospital; there, she served as the evening supervisor for many years and eventually rose to VP of Nursing. After she retired from Dominican, she directed staff training at Valley Convalescent Hospital in Watsonville. For over 30 years, hundreds of nurses and CNAs in Santa Cruz County received hands-on training from JoAnne.

 

JoAnne was active in the Resurrection Catholic community, which she joined in 1968. She helped establish the parish’s food pantry, worked in the gardens, and sang in the choir. She was also a longtime member of the American Historical Society for Germans from Russia, serving for a time as secretary of the local chapter. She enjoyed learning about the heritage of her parents, who had arrived in Colorado with their families from Russia’s Volga German communities in the early 1900s. JoAnne and Bill traveled frequently, as well, exploring the world with friends they made through their many interests and activities.

 

Above all, JoAnne supported and cared for her family and friends. She nurtured her children and encouraged them—and Bill—to follow their passions. She welcomed guests into her home with warmth and generosity. JoAnne was a wonderful cook, and she taught her children the pleasure of cooking and eating together. She loved to tend her gardens, including an ever-expanding bed of bearded irises that bloomed brilliantly every spring. She also loved to read and nurtured the conviction that a good book is a good friend. She was a wonderful mother, wife, and friend. 

 

JoAnne is survived by her children, Rebecca (Paul Hurford) of Capitola, David, Naomi (Brian Moffet), and Marianne Lin (Patrick), all of Santa Cruz; her grandchildren, Jeremy Hurford (Nicki), Kyle Hurford (Veronica), and Jason Lin; and her great-grandsons Jaxon and William Hurford. She is also survived by her sisters Shirley Bell (Cecil) of Fort Lupton; Patricia Glynn (Gerald) of Brighton, CO; and Maxine Hilderbrand, of Amarillo, TX; and her brother LeRoy Gabel of Colorado Springs, CO. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents, Gottlieb and Pauline Meier Gabel; her brother, Richard Gabel; her sister, Jeanette Reiva; and two brothers and one sister in childhood.

 

Donations in JoAnne’s memory may be made to Resurrection Catholic Parish Food Pantry or your local food bank.

A memorial mass will be held at Resurrection Parish in Aptos on Friday, January 18, at 1:00 p.m.

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