Brock was born in Duncan and had a happy childhood here. From the time he was a toddler he was a typical boy, eating dirt and worms and even once trying gasoline as a chaser. Brock was a quick learner from very young. He enjoyed going to the library, picking out books and being read to at bed time. He began to crawl and walk at an early age and started skating at the age of three. Brock loved school and learning, skipping grade 2, which Craig attributes to the drill sheets he gave Brock in Kindergarten.

Brock loved sports, trying out soccer, then baseball (which he quit when his coach fell on him, breaking his arm) and of course hockey, which he stuck with. As his skating and shooting ability developed through power skating lessons and Howie Meeker’s hockey school he excelled in hockey, once scoring 10 goals and adding an assist in a 11-1 victory.

Brock often played outside with his brother, cousins and neighbourhood friends. This included street hockey and other games such as kick the can, the “tin foil ball game” (none of the cousins can fully remember the game, as Brock made it up of course, along with a long list of rules which his cousins seemed to always break). He was a real stickler for rules if you were playing a game. It was actually dangerous to cheat or bend the rules when you were competing with him. Craig still vividly remembers a twirling croquet mallet coming toward him and a friend. Brock also attended Beavers, enjoying collecting various badges, and in his teenage years taught himself how to play piano and then enjoyed honing his skills with lessons.

He loved camping with his family, especially when combined with roasting smokies over a campfire. When camping, Brock and Craig used to spend hours exploring the woods, riding bikes (getting oil from the oiled roads all up their backs), swimming, water skiing and fishing for bullheads with Grandpa Knight. Brock also spent many summers at Lake Cowichan with his extended family over the years. There was only one lake worthy of being at, and that was Cowichan Lake according to Brock. As a teenager/young adult, Brock enjoyed snow skiing, badminton, swing dancing and he could keep a hacky sack in the air longer than anyone else on the Island.

Brock was a camp counsellor at Camp VIP and then again later in New York State where he met Shaquille O’Neil. He was unimpressed with Shaq’s lack of intellectual discourse.

Two weeks into Brock’s 3rd year of University, his parents and brother came home to find a note that he had quit university and was heading out on the open road to find himself. There was no mention of where he was going, how long he’d be gone or when he would contact his family again. Weeks later it was discovered he had bought a camper van and a season’s ski pass in the Rockies, and would spend the next months skiing powder hills and creating his own path in life.

After returning and completing his teaching degree at UVic, he spent six months as a substitute teacher. Brock was quickly frustrated as a teacher as he discovered that many students weren’t actually interested in learning with the same vigour as himself. He soon realized that teaching was not the career for him.

Brock spent the next few years reveling in the Liberal Studies program at Malaspina, earning a second degree. This was one of the happiest times of Brock’s life. He loved to read classical books and discuss ideas, and was known to his fellow seminar students as “Brockrates” for his Socratic style of dialogue.

After graduating from Liberal Studies, Brock was accepted into British Columbia’s Legislative Internship Program in Victoria. For six months he revelled in politics, policy, governance and lively debates over artichoke dip and White Russian cocktails with the other interns. Brock, who had at one time gone door to door collecting donations to run a two page ad criticizing Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals, was exposed to the reality of partisan politics during his time in government and this spurred his desire to seek democratic reform.

During this period of his life, he met Heather, and after their first date they were inseparable.

Brock and Heather were living in a panoramic ocean view 22nd-storey penthouse with government jobs, Brock as a trade policy advisor and Heather in communications, when Brock decided he wanted to become an organic vegetable farmer. Three months later they moved to Duncan as owners of 10 acres of undeveloped farmland on Bench Road in Cowichan Station.

Over the next eight years, Brock and Heather grew Makaria Farm into the Cowichan Valley’s largest organic vegetable farm. Brock trained dozens of farm workers in the fine arts of hoeing and harvesting. He always savoured the first sugar snap peas, strawberries, asparagus and other crops of each season. Brock created Vancouver Island’s first grain CSA program, Island Grains, as well as the first winter CSA program, Makaria Farm’s Food Security Club.

Brock and Heather were married in 2012, and a year later they had their only son, Isaac Duncan McLeod. One of Isaac’s best memories of his dad is driving the tractor together.

Brock was diagnosed with cancer in late 2014. The couple closed down their farm after the 2015 season, choosing to spend their remaining time together camping, reading, and being with family and friends. Brock started a website to share his writing, at brockmcleod.com.

In the summer of 2016, Brock, Heather and Isaac completed a two month, 21,000 kilometre road trip all across Canada in their 1986 motorhome, creating some of their happiest memories. Brock ate his first lobster and saw Niagara Falls for the first time.

Brock was a staple at the Duncan Farmers Market, first as a vendor and then as a customer. He loved Chesterman Beach in Tofino. His favourite movies were The Matrix and Lord of the Rings. He made incredible mix tapes and was known to friends as DJ B-Rock. He was a philosopher and a constant devil’s advocate. He helped those close to him become better critical thinkers, teaching by his own example.

Brock drank Old Fashioneds. His favourite books were Plato’s Republic and The Closing of the American Mind, by Allan Bloom. A lucky few witnessed him doing The Worm at dance parties.

Brock left us decades too soon. He was a rare human being and will be missed by many.

With thanks to cousin Tammy for reading this at Brock’s memorial, and to Brock’s big brother Craig for compiling all the memories.