Webster Brockelman
Webster Bernard Brockelman, Jr. passed away quietly in Lincoln on July 25, 2024 with his loving wife of 49 wonderful years, Jennie Lou Brockelman, by his side. He was 93.
Web was born in Longview, Wash., on January 31, 1931, the son of Webster B. and Nina Harkins Brockelman. The family moved to Framingham, Mass., where Web attended public schools before attending Bates College, graduating in 1952 with a B.A. Throughout his life, Web attended every college reunion. He closely followed the Bates football team and viewed the annual Bates-Bowdoin game as the equivalent of a Super Bowl.
After graduation, Web entered the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School and attained the rank of captain during the Korean War. He was awarded a Purple Heart for an injury during the conflict. He continued in the Marine Corps Reserves until 1960. His experience in the Corps shaped the rest of his life as he embraced the teamwork, ethics and patriotism of his Marine Corps tenure.
Following Korea, Web and his first wife, Marcia D. Brockelman, moved to Atlanta, but loving New England, they returned and settled in Boxford, Mass., where Web became an active citizen in local and national politics. He was a member of the Boxford school committee and a thought leader in the planning of the area’s first regional high school, Masconomet in 1959. He coached his sons in baseball and football, continually instilling the concept of sportsmanship to his players. He absolutely loved dogs, both his own and all those he came in contact with.
He was an accomplished musician with a deep melodious bass voice and sang both spontaneously and with quartets on the North Shore. His successful executive career in the insurance brokerage business began in the south with Liberty Mutual and continued in Boston for the next 40 years. Beginning with the Boston firm Boit, Dalton and Church, and through many mergers, he became president and CEO of AON Corp. in the Northeast, an international risk management firm. He retired from AON in 1995 but continued to serve in a consulting role for several more years.
Web was an instinctive and skilled sailor. He was past Commodore of the Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester. He and Jen spent many years plying the waters of New England in their own sailboat aptly named Esprit. There were also many voyages in Maine, the Caribbean, and the Grenadines. Web and Jen skied and traveled worldwide and made numerous auto trips, including five across the country, often to Washington state to visit relatives.
Starting in 1976, Winchester Mass., became home to Web and Jen who hosted lots of family events as the children grew into adulthood. After retirement, Web and Jen retired to a condominium in Lincoln, where they regularly entertained family and held gatherings for a wide circle of friends. Web was also past president of the condo association where they lived. Seemingly Web’s innate leadership qualities lead him to numerous involuntary and voluntary leadership roles throughout his life in the community and business.
Web is survived by his wife, Jennie Lou; a brother, James H. Brockelman; three children by his first marriage to Marcia: Laura J., James D., and Andrew F. Brockelman; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his stepchildren, Geoffrey F. and Rebecca E. Brackett. Web was an honored patriarch and loved as a remarkable presence in his family.
Webster’s funeral was private and he was buried in Wildwood Cemetery in Winchester. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Marine Museum, 1775 Semper Fidelis Way, Triangle, VA 22172, or online at secure.marineheritage.