- Alumni
Picture the world in the spring of 1951. What a different world it was!
CC was about to leave the “old school” at Woodward Avenue and Belmont Avenue for a move to the “new school” at 6565 West Outer Drive.
Among the 140 member senior class - the Class of 1951 - was an ambitious graduate named Harold Lloyd Brock. Harold matriculated to CC from the east side of Detroit where he attended St. John Berchmans school and parish. Harold loved his time at CC and cherished his experience. He was an active student who participated in the French Club, the school Drama Program including the production of Detective Story his senior year, the Monogram Club, and Football.
And how he loved to represent the Shamrocks on the football field! Perhaps one of his proudest accomplishments was defeating our rivals from Boys’ Town in 1950 in front of 43,000 fans at Briggs Stadium. CC’s first ever defeat of Boys’ Town!
Upon graduation, this proud Shamrock was offered the opportunity to continue his education and play football at a far away place called Alma College in the far away town of Alma, Michigan.
Alma was so far away that Harold “hitch hiked” his way to Alma for his first visit and subsequent trips to and from home.
After earning his degree from Alma College in Education in 1956, Harold spent the next 37 years teaching in Alma Schools. Harold has a special passion for science and a love of stars. His resume includes time as a Planetarium Presenter at Alma College and he is still on staff as a Starlab Instructor at Central Michigan University.
Harold married Roberta in 1954 and spent nearly 60 years together. Harold and Roberta were loyal supporters of CC and never missed a Donor Appreciation Dinner. Traveling all the way from Alma, Harold and Roberta were always the first to arrive, anxious and excited to be on campus to cheer for the Shamrocks.
Sadly, Harold lost Roberta in 2014 and upon her passing, Harold established the Harold ’51 & Roberta Brock Scholarship Fund. It was Harold’s desire to help other young men experience CC like he had so many years before.
In grateful recognition for his generosity, the Faculty Lounge in our new Hall of Science, located conveniently right next to the Celestron Telescope and our Obersvadome, will bear his name.
Harold is a living example of Goodness, the greatest of all CC - Basilian virtues as he has devoted decades of his life to being a Shrine Clown. His clown name is Dusty, and Dusty has had a profound impact on the lives of children in Michigan.
It is because of the Shrine Clown experience that Harold met his current wife Grace, to whom he was married in 2020. Grace is also a Shrine Clown. Her clown name is Kupcake.
Together, Harold & Grace, or Dusty & Kupcake, have devoted their lives to each other, to “Clowning for Kid’s Sake” and to CC. You will find Harold & Grace in the Shamrock Pavilion this fall cheering on their beloved Shamrocks and being a living example of love, loyalty and goodness.