Dwayne Brock

Claxton Dwayne Brock, 76, of Tyler, TX passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, July 29, 2023, in The Woodlands, TX after a brief illness. He was surrounded by his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. He was welcomed into his Eternal Home by his Savior and a host of family and friends.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 1:00pm at Pollard United Methodist Church in Tyler with Rev. Richard Luna officiating.

Dwayne was born on December 6, 1946, to Reginald and Karon Brock in Texarkana and lived in that area until his father was called into the ministry and began serving various churches around East Texas and Houston. Dwayne was in high school during the time his father served the First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg, TX and always considered Pittsburg to be his true “home base” and made lifelong friends in school and the church youth group.

Dwayne graduated from East Texas State University (now A & M Commerce) and served 4 years in the United States Coast Guard.

During Dwayne’s Coast Guard service his parents were transferred to serve Greggton United Methodist Church in Longview. His mother, Karon, and a church member, Margaret Gambill, set up a blind date between Dwayne and his future wife, Peggy. Dwayne and Peggy often joked theirs was an “arranged marriage” and if it didn’t work out, the two mothers were to blame. Obviously, the blind date went well, as Dwayne and Peggy were married the following spring on March 18, 1972. They were blessed with the addition of a son, Alan, in 1979 and again blessed to add daughter-in-law Bambi to the family in June 2021. In 1995 they opened their home and their hearts to an exchange student from Germany, Jens Walther. What started as a one-year stay developed into a lasting relationship and Dwayne took great joy in following Jens’ career and family.

Dwayne worked in oil and gas accounting for most of his life with various companies in Houston before his original retirement from the George R. Brown Partnership in 2013. After they moved to Tyler, Peggy told Dwayne she married him for better or worse but not for 24/7 and he needed to find something to do. He was truly blessed to find part-time employment at Mewbourne Oil in Tyler and enjoyed several years there before fully retiring again in January 2020.

He loved playing golf, fishing – especially fly fishing – and woodworking and spent many hours on the golf course, lakes, or completing projects in the shop.

He absolutely loved attending in-person or watching sporting events on TV. It didn’t matter if it was high school, college, or professional or if it was football, baseball, golf, or basketball. He loved it all and often flipped back and forth between two different events simultaneously while recording something else. He began his love of pro football back in the “Love Ya Blue” days of the Houston Oilers and never gave up hope that the subsequent franchise would get their act together and be a team worthy of the name “Texans”. He had a love/hate relationship with the Cowboys and watched the Rangers if the Astros were not playing. The Astros were “his team” and he was thrilled while taking a random tour of Minute Maid Park to encounter Nolan Ryan. Dwayne, normally a soft spoken and somewhat shy person, had no problem walking up to the Hall of Fame pitcher and simply saying, “Mr. Ryan, I have followed your entire career and it would be an honor to shake your hand”. Nolan graciously complied and Dwayne had a story to tell for years.

Two additional bucket list items were related to sports as well. He and his brother-in-law, Bob, attended a World Series game that the Rangers won, and they both attributed the Rangers’ success to their attendance. They often relived the experience and talked of the excitement and electricity in the air at a World Series game unlike any other. On another occasion, he was thrilled to have a Field Pass and be on the sidelines at “Jerry World” during the high school state championship game when the Allen Eagles took home the state title. He was forever grateful for the experience.

He hoped to one day play the Old Course in Saint Andrews, Scotland, but that was not in God’s Plan.

He was a quiet, gentle man with a strong personal faith and a great love for his God, his country, his family, and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Reginald and mother, Karon; stepmother, Mary Lou Brock; father and mother-in-law, Robert and Margaret Gambill; brother- in- law, Lawson White and sister-in- law, Rethea Gambill and cousin, Joe D Brewer.

Dwayne is survived by his wife of 51 years, Peggy of Tyler; son Alan and wife Bambi of Spring; sister, LaNell White of Wills Point; brother-in-law, Bob Gambill of Longview; stepbrothers Paul Weaver (Denise) and Clayton Weaver (Lauren); aunt Erma Brewer and uncle Carlos Taylor as well as nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Peggy and Alan want to give special thanks to Dr. Abraham Winkelstein, Dr. Andrew Jackson and Dr. Tarkan Dural for the care given to Dwayne and their guidance, comfort, and compassion in Dwayne’s final days. We also extend a special thank you to friends at Pollard United Methodist Church and the “Bunco Group” who have generously given love, support, help and comfort during this difficult time.

If you desire, donations in Dwayne’s name may be made to the charity of your choice or to Pollard United Methodist Church in Tyler. The most meaningful way to honor Dwayne is to live your life to the fullest, hold close those you love and never, never take one single day for granted.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestparkthewoodlands.com for the Brock family.