The Rev. Ronald Gene Brokaw

The Rev. Ronald G. Brokaw passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday October 14, 2024. He was born to Ed and Minnie Brokaw in LaPlata, Missouri on January 12, 1930. He was preceded in death by his wife Jeanne M. Brokaw in November 2013. Ronald loved cooking, entertaining, the opera, the Episcopal Liturgy, to travel and enjoyed a great meal with friends with lots of conversation. He always said you cannot have too many dishes or glasses at a meal!

Ronald spent his early years in LaPlata surrounded by his loving grandparents. He often spoke fondly of those years. In 1942 Ronald, his sister Sharon and parents moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Ronald finished High School in Kansas City and went on to graduate from The University of Missouri at Kansas City with a degree in English. It was during this time that Ronald began attending St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Mission, Kansas.

St. Michaels, and the Diocese of Kansas, sponsored Ronald to go to seminary at The Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley California. He graduated with a Masters Degree in Divinity on June 13, 1957. Ronald was ordained a Deacon in the Episcopal Church at St. Michael and All Angels in Mission, Kansas on June 22, 1957. His first church assignment was in Wichita Kansas at St. James Episcopal Church. Ronald was ordained a Priest at St. James on St. Thomas Day December 21, 1957, by Bishop Goodrich Fenner. It was at St. James where Ronald met Jeanne Jacoby, who was Director of Christian Education, and they married at St. James on November 23, 1959. In December 1959 Ronald was called to be Rector of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Emporia, Kansas. Ronald, Jeanne and Jeanne’s two boys, Lee and Paul, moved to Emporia to start a new chapter in their lives. While at St. Andrews Ronald also served as the chaplain to the Episcopal students at the two colleges in Emporia. Ronald also earned a Masters Degree in Education from what is now Emporia State University.

Ronald served as Rector at St. Andrews until 1968 when he was called to help startup a new Episcopal School in Winter Park, Florida. Ronald was one of three Priests to start Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park. During the early years of the school all three of the Priests had to become “jacks of all trades” in order to get things done. He was a guidance counselor, teacher, liturgy planner, senior class advisor for college selection and all other duties that were needed. It was during the 1970’s, while still full time at Trinity Prep, that Ronald became a volunteer in the Honduras outreach ministry. He especially worked with and for the Our Little Roses Orphanage.

Ronald retired from Trinity Prep in 1989, but he did not really retire. During 1990 he served as the interim Rector of St. Peters Episcopal Church in Lake Mary, Florida. After his service in Lake Mary, Ronald volunteered for an outreach ministry to Honduras. He and Jeanne attended many national conventions and set up and manned a booth offering information and asking for support of the Honduras Outreach Ministry. It was in the 1990’s that Trinity Preparatory School named one of the education buildings after Ronald in honor of his service there.

In 2013 Ronald and Jeanne decided to leave their long-time home in Orlando and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida to be closer to their son Paul in Tampa. While in St. Petersburg Ronald and Jeanne attended St. Peters Episcopal Cathedral where he also occasionally celebrated the Eucharist on weekdays.

A funeral Requiem will be celebrated for Ronald at 1:00pm on November 1, 2024 at the Cathedral of St. Luke in Orlando. The service will be live streamed at: https://www.youtube.com/@CathedralChurchofStLukeOrlando

Ronald is survived by his two sons Lee and Paul (Margaret), and Lee’s daughter Jeanne and granddaughter Matilda, Paul and Margaret’s daughters Lynley (Robb) and Kathryn and grandson Darian.

Memorial gifts can be offered in Ronald’s name to Our Little Roses Orphanage in Honduras, 525 NE 15th Street Suite 100 Miami, Florida 33132; Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Music Department, 130 North Magnolia Ave. Orlando, Florida 32801.