From a contemporary press report
Stephen T. Van Brocklin, 52, a retired Navy Commander who taught physics at West Springfield High School in 1998-99, died of cancer January 9, 2000 at Fairfax Hospital.
Commander Van Brocklin retired from the Navy in 1991 after 22 years of military service as an aviator and program manager. While serving in the Navy, he received a master’s degree in aeronautical science from the University of West Florida and a second master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
His career included three deployment cruises to the Mediterranean and duty in Grenada, California, Florida, Rhode Island and the Washington area, where he had lived for the last 14 years. His decorations included a Meritorious Service Medal.
After his military retirement, Commander Van Brocklin was director of operations at AP Labs and then a division director at the Tech Plan Corp.
He joined the faculty at West Springfield High School as a physics teacher in 1998.
Commander Van Brocklin, a resident of Burke, was born in Watertown, New York, and graduated from Clarkson University.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Church of the Nativity in Burke.
Survivors include his wife, Constance Van Brocklin of Burke; three children, Andrew S. Van Brocklin of Port Orange, Fla., Mark P. Van Brocklin of Charlottesville and Matthew S. Van Brocklin of Burke; his mother, Marilyn J. Van Brocklin of Port Orange, Fla.; and two brothers.
VanBROCKLIN, STEPHEN TED
On Sunday, January 9, 2000, husband of Constance H. VanBrocklin; father of Andrew, Mark and Matthew VanBrocklin; brother of Reid and Kermit Lee VanBrocklin. Also survived by his mother, Marilynn J. VanBrocklin. A Memorial Mass will be offered on Friday, January 14, at 11 a.m. at Church of the Nativity, 6400 Nativity Lane, Burke, VA. Interment, Arlington National Cemetery, Thursday, January 20, 9 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers-St. Mary’s Mission Hospital Project, Controller’s Office, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, P.O. Box 309, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0309.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard