Martha Beard Brockman

The family of Martha Beard Brockman, 83, is heartbroken to announce her departure from this life while at home in Beeville, Texas, on July 5, 2026.  She is now in a much better place.  

Martha was born in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas on April 13, 1943 to Eugene M. Beard of Edge and Marguarite J. Buchanan Beard of Kurten.  Except for a brief sojourn in San Antonio during World War II, Martha grew up in Bryan and spent many Sunday afternoons in Kurten.   She and her sister Eugenia (Genie) and cousin Bennie were often on horseback exploring the Kurten area.   

She attended Crockett Elementary across Cavitt Street from her home and her mother’s Happy Day Kindergarten.  She also attended Lamar Junior High. During high school at Stephen F. Austin, Martha participated in choir and entered vocal competitions in Texas and Oklahoma.  Through her voice teacher, Martha served as a young female test voice for the writers of the words and composers of music of a work in progress that turned out to be The Fantastics, the longest running musical ever.   Martha was also in the SFA Choir in 1959 when it performed on the NBC Today show in New York City and later at the United States Capitol in Washington.  Martha was awarded a full voice scholarship to Southwestern University, where she, as a music major, declared voice as her primary instrument.  Martha was a soprano and she had a beautiful lyrical voice that stayed long in one’s memory. 

In an aside, right after high school graduation, Martha, along with several of her girlfriends in the SFA Class of 1961, were invited to enroll at Texas A & M for summer classes, thus becoming one of the very first Maggies.   Two years later women were officially admitted year around.   

While attending Southwestern, Martha was a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority and the A Cappella Choir, where she soloed on a regular basis.  She was an officer in Delta Omicron, a national professional music fraternity for women.   During her freshman year at Southwestern Martha met her future husband, John, a sophomore, in a class they shared. They dated for next three years.  Because of those summer classes at Texas A &M, and additional classes taken the two following summers at Sam Houston University, Martha would have graduated in three years along with John’s class of 1964 except for needing two one-hour classes in voice.  

Martha and John married and as soon as the graduation ceremony was over in May, they then jumped into Martha’s 1961 Volvo  (beep, beep) and drove to the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho.   They both worked as Fire Lookouts on the Horseshoe Lake Lookout Tower, spotting fires from the very first day.  

They were flown in a helicopter into the tower site on top of a snow-covered mountain.  From the air, their lookout appeared to be in the middle of nowhere.  (In reality it was just off the Lolo Trail followed by Lewis and Clark in 1805-1806 and Chief Joseph’s Nez Perce in 1877 in their bid to escape to Canada.)  When Martha’s fresh food cache was lost, two Nez Perce gave them the fish they had caught that day, just as Nez Perce had befriended Lewis and Clark 159 years earlier.  Although Martha and John worked as lookouts in this historical area along the Lolo Trail, for just a few months, there were stories enough to last a lifetime.  At least a story per day, it seemed.     

When the fire danger dropped below what was needed to keep the tower manned, Martha and John drove to St. Louis (where John continued working for the Missouri Pacific Railroad).  In St. Louis, Martha explored the area universities and decided on Washington University.  As it happened, WU had a world-renowned voice professor who was an opera singer and opera coach.  A singing audition was required.  Martha passed the audition with ease.      A couple of years later she had the two voice credits she needed, and she was also now ready for Madam Butterfly or Broadway or the St. Louis Muny.  She was already the lead soprano in the University City Methodist Church located adjacent to Washington University. 

But Broadway would have to wait.   Martha was a new mother, having given birth to John Hampton Brockman, who always has been known as Hamp, in Richmond Heights, just to the west of the City of St. Louis.   Before too long, Martha started thinking about possibilities of returning to Texas and putting her teaching certificates to use.  And, where Hamp would be closer to both sets of grandparents.  And perhaps John could start graduate school and Texas A & M?       

Martha had to really jump through hoops to start her first real job at two, not just one, elementary schools.  She applied to Bryan ISD in the summer of 1966 hoping to start perhaps in 1967 or 1968 if there was an opening. Instead, Bryan needed her the next week, so she needed to move 750 miles to Kurten and get ready to teach pronto.  She eventually taught at Bowie, Henderson and Milam during her two years at Bryan ISD, years that included fall and spring programs with casts of thousands. 

A graduate program transfer moved Martha and her family from Kurten to Austin.  Martha began teaching elementary music at Palm Elementary and she taught there for five years.     This was a positive change for Martha.  She only had one school and one principal, and one fall show and one spring show.  And her new principal was a former elementary school music teacher.  Her students participated in fall and spring performances, and as usual, they were outstanding productions and fun for all.  

Five years later in the summer of 1973, a call from Bee County College, took Martha, John, and Hamp to Beeville where they planned to stay at least three years but no more than five, and now that five is going on fifty-three.   Martha substitute taught that first year with many well-deserved days off following those seven years of hard time.   

That next spring Martha was cast as Marian the Librarian in the college’s and community theatre’s presentation of The Music Man.  She would put the vocal techniques and opera training acquired at Washington University to good use in a most musical and dramatic fashion.  Every solo she sang was an absolute showstopper.  Her voice filled the Gertrude Jones Auditorium as if they were designed for each other.    How could Martha, 5 foot two, eyes of blue and barely a hundred pounds sing “Til There was You” and “Goodnight, My Someone” like she did?  Every word heard and every pitch hit, with emotion.  Overnight Martha became the Diva and Prima Donna of Beeville, Texas.  At least it seemed that way!

Martha continued, over the next few years, to sing in theatrical programs featuring scenes from Broadway shows.  John and Hamp joined in to make it a family affair in productions such as Our Town.  She also taught full time as a resource teacher, then fourth and, finally, second grade, at Hall and Madera-Flournoy at Beeville ISD.  

Martha loved her students and it was reciprocal. You could see that whenever there were chance meetings in town with their favorite teacher. Lots of hugs. You could see it during her two years in Bryan and five years in Austin when music students had an encounter outside of school.  Hugs. And in Beeville where chance encounters were more common. Lots more hugs.  She retired from full-time teaching when she got in her 30 needed years.  Just in time to be a full-time grandmother to Austen and Parker who were just moving to Beeville from Japan. 

During these times and at these places Martha participated in the Beeville Community Chorus’s many concerts and performances.  Through the Austin Choral Union, she sang with the Austin and Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestras.  She sang in the Methodist Church choirs as she had done in St. Louis, she did in Bryan, Austin and finally in Beeville where she retired from singing.   She often sang solos in church and at weddings.  She was the choir director at two different churches, a choir participant in all others.  

Martha also encouraged and supported the musical talents of Hamp as he progressed through piano, saxophone, and guitar and his participation in musical programs in Beeville, and in two McDonald’s All-American High School Bands, saxophone in the marching band and guitar in the jazz band.   And then later in the University of North Texas lab bands and Men’s Chorus and on into his present-day music and song writing career.  When majoring in music, it’s helpful to have a mother who had had the same major.  

Martha supported John through seven years of graduate school, not knowing if it would pay off or not.  She offered encouraging words and support throughout a tedious and trying process.   Stretching those dollars for many years.  And her support continued in his teaching and administrative duties at Coastal Bend College. 

In retirement, Martha was able to participate in several clubs and organizations such as the Beeeville Art Association and the Wednesday-Thursday Club.   She was very involved in the restoration of the Berclair Mansion.  She supervised and fed trustees from the Goliad County jail as they worked on projects in the mansion.  Her favorite clubs are described by their names:  Retired Teachers and Do Nothin’.  

During their lives together Martha and John and Hamp, and Granddaughter Austen (Abby) and Grandson Parker formed her close-knit primary family working and playing together with lots of travels, meals, and good times shared and accomplishments celebrated.   There was travel to Disney, Washinton D.C., Big Bend, Fort Davis and the McDonald Observatory, Carlsbad and many other locations. 

Martha herself traveled near and far.  She participated in a special summer programs in Puebla and Mexico City with students from both Bee County College and Texas A & M.  Another summer program in London featured students and alumni from Southwestern University.  

Once they were both retired, there were frequent trips to Montana where John coached student success at two Tribal Colleges but also included visits to summer theatre productions at Big Fork.   Travels with family covered much of the United States, especially including Santa Fe, New Mexico, Colorado, Branson, Missouri, large parts of Mexico, Caribbean Islands and upper South America, and Alberta and British Columbia in Canada.  Japan. Even Cuba.  There were cruises out of Seattle and San Diego, Galveston, Fort Lauderdale, and San Juan that were especially nice in recent years.  Best of all, was staying at home with family and friends or going to Kurten, Martha’s second home outside of Bryan.   

Martha was preceded in death by her parents, her brother-in-law Gary Clayton of Spring, her sister-in-law Linda Farias of Houston, and her cousin Benny Buchanan.   

Martha is survived by her husband of 62 years, John Brockman of Beeville, her son Hampton (and Janet) Brockman of Beeville, granddaughter Austen (Abby) of Austin, and grandson Parker of Portland, Oregon.  Also, Sister Eugenia Clayton of San Antonio, brother-in-law Edward Farias of Houston, brother-in-law Carl (and Mary) Brockman of Austin.  Nephew Michael Clayton (and Keitha) of San Antonio, niece LeAnn (and Richard) Addlesee of Arlington.  Numerous other dear nieces and nephews and cousins.   Friends, neighbors, colleagues, and former students.   

The family is thankful for the Angel Bright Hospice Team for making Martha’s final days more pleasant and meaningful.

Visitation will be held at 10 am on Saturday, August 22, at Oak Park Memorial Funeral Chapel. A Celebration of Life Service will follow at 11am.

OAK PARK MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL

BEEVILLE, TEXAS

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