Goodbye Brook
We hired him because of his perseverance and determination. By the third summer of repeatedly meeting with Ryan to drop off his resume, it was time to give this student a job. Young Brook was slight of stature and quiet, but after being part of our Lepp Farm Family for 8 years, he has left a giant pair of hiking boots to fill.
We are mourning the loss of our friend Brook this past week, a kind and adventurous young man. As we’ve shared memories and tried to come to grips with his absence, the snapshot of Brook that has emerged is of a man who loved everything about nature. Trees were to be saluted and thanked for their oxygen, mountains were to be traversed and photographed, and every sunrise and sunset was enough reason to stop all activity and appreciate the beauty.
Above: Brook working in produce back in 2014 and at Applelooza, October 2019.
Each of our parents instilled within us the love of farming, wholesome home-cooked food, a strong work ethic and our responsibility to be charitable to our family and community. During Stalin’s brutal reign, Mom was born in Ukraine and became a World War Two refugee as her family fled to Europe. She and Dad were reunited and married in Germany and secured a family sponsor to come to Canada. In the spring of 1948, Mom, Dad, and my then-infant brother made the trek to Abbotsford, the final leg by rail across the vast Canadian lands, their train passing right by the flooded location of the future Lepp Farm Market.
Mom’s life was not easy, and I get weary thinking of all her responsibilities. She and Dad purchased a 10-acre wooded property on Gladwin Road, which they cleared to build a poultry and berry farm. While Dad worked his day job on the railroad, Mom cared for the children, ran the farm, and fed and nurtured the family. It wasn’t until I arrived, the seventh child and baby of the family, that Dad could work full-time on the farm and ease some of her burdens. Cooking was never Mom’s favourite duty, but with so many mouths to feed, there was no choice. She would churn out piles of golden-brown homemade buns, saucy cabbage rolls, aromatic roast chickens, kettles of hearty homemade soups, and forever her grandchildren’s favourite, brown Oma Cookies. Looking to find a willing helper, she was determined to teach me how to cook, and I’m so grateful for her gift of a 1970 Betty Crocker Boys and Girls Cookbook and an Easy-Bake Oven. Undoubtedly, the exotic-sounding Raggedy Ann Salad and Mad Hatter Meatball recipes inspired my love of creating food!
Above: Brook’s produce signs for April Fool’s Day.
In between those moments, Brook entertained us with his dead-pan humour and practical jokes. His laughter rang throughout the market, often overtop of a lot of other noise. His smile lit up a room, and he wore shorts even on the coldest days of the year. His perseverance and determination were never more evident than when he set out in April, 2018 to complete the Pacific Crest Trail. Four months and 4,000 kilometres of through-hiking later, a group of us went to meet him at the trail’s end in Manning Park. Each friend was joyfully embraced in a stinky hug.
Above: Lepp Farm Market staff at Fieldhouse in 2018 when we sent Brook off on his Pacific Crest Trail journey.
We salute you Brook for the life-giving oxygen you breathed into our market. You showed us that every mountain can be conquered with enough training and determination. We promise to stop and think of you every time we see a beautiful sunrise or sunset. We will hold you in our hearts forever. Happy trails, my dude.
If you would like to contribute to the costs of his funeral there is a GoFundMe page here.
Brook’s memory lives on in the Be Morr Society, a foundation for mental health and suicide prevention. Donations can be made to the Be Morr Society here.
