Four Decades of Love

Thinking back on the past four decades of her life, Helen Brock feels a mix of emotions. Pride from her accomplishments. Happiness for the life she has built and the family that surrounds her. Love, for the man who has been by her side for the past forty years.

The year was 1974, while Helen was attending San Jose State University in California. She attended a college party in a friend’s dorm room where, as fate would have it, Kevin Brock was in attendance. The two dated for the next two years through college, dreaming up a bright future for themselves, and falling more in love with every day they spent together.

The two ambled around Harbourtown as new college graduates, dreaming of traveling the world, having fulfilling careers, and starting a family – somehow knowing deep inside that they would enjoy that lifestyle someday.

They were only 23 and 25 at the time, but there was no question about it – this was forever. The two decided to get married, and set a date for a beautiful summer wedding in June, 1976. They chose to return to Helen’s birthplace of Savannah, Georgia for the wedding. She was born there and her family still resides in the historic city, and she wanted to share this part of herself with Kevin on their wedding day.

After perusing several venues, the pair landed on Brockington Hall.

“It is a beautiful historic home,” Helen describes the venue, “the perfect setting for an intimate wedding.” And that is exactly what they had.

“It is a beautiful historic home,” Helen describes the venue, “the perfect setting for an intimate wedding.”

“My favorite wedding gift was a painting of Brockington Hall done by Myrtle Jones to commemorate the event,” she continues. “It hangs over my fireplace mantle to this day.” That painting has served as a happy reminder to Helen and Kevin of their first day as husband and wife, spent under the summer sun and draping Spanish Moss of Savannah’s historic streets.

After they were married, the Brocks moved to a lovely home in the San Francisco Bay area, where Helen worked in Sales for Saloncentric and Kevin was an Engineer for Intel Corp. they raised a family, and lived out the life they had dreamed together.

“By some miracle and three wonderful children later, we have enjoyed fulfilling careers, traveled the world and are continuing to do so,” Helen says of her life’s accomplishments with Kevin. This May, the Brocks returned to Brockington Hall to celebrate forty wonderful years of marriage in the same place where they took their original vows in 1976. It was important to them that they return to the place where it all began to celebrate their anniversary, and their lives together.

We asked Helen her advice to new brides for a long and happy marriage like hers to Kevin.

“Trust, a sense of humor about life, and complementary strengths,” she says are key components to a strong relationship. She also feels that truly being best friends has been such an important part of their success. Helen and Kevin are skilled at very different tasks, so he is good at what she’s not and vice versa. “That engenders a healthy respect for each other’s abilities,” she says.

Her tips for new brides? Trust! “Trust is the ONLY option,” she states. “Your mate is either trustworthy or not, so your feelings and fears do not change the outcome.” She adds that it is also important to build your own identity. “You travel through life side by side, always there for each other…but as two separate individuals.”

We were very excited to welcome back Helen and Kevin Brock, and congratulate them on a long and happy marriage. We wish you many more years of continued happiness!