April 30, 2019
At the heart of our work together is a fundamental belief in the possibilities and in human potential. In my time at the Y, I've been fortunate enough to encounter many, many people who both live that belief for others and exemplify it personally. Perhaps no one, however, has ever been more exemplary in both belief in others and sheer determination than my friend and our former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Bob Brosmer.
For those of you who have been at the Y long enough to know, five years ago Bob suffered a massive stroke on Easter Sunday morning. It was a devastating shock to him, his family and to the entire Y community, both here in central Maryland and across the country who know and deeply admire Bob, and for good reason.
Bob's work at the Y is distinguished for many accomplishments (playing a central role in our turnaround and growth, developing an outstanding professional development program called "The Leadership Journey," instituting quality standards and the Net Promoter Score, and so much more) but perhaps the work he did which most defines his character was the little known mentoring role he took on with several young men who needed the attention and support of a strong male role model. Several of those young men are incredibly successful today, thanks to their own incredible fortitude as well as Bob’s steady, strong guidance and support.
This past Easter Sunday, his daughter Lynn posted a moving tribute on the website Caring Bridge, excerpted below:
It's hard to believe, but it has now been 5 years since my dad's stroke. It's been a hard and frustrating 5 years for him and our family. Despite many hours/years of therapy the progress he has made in speech has been far less than we had hoped. Every stroke patient's recovery is vastly different, due to the part of the brain that was damaged. Physically he is doing well though, other than his right hand. He still works out regularly at the Y and at their condo gym, and is in great shape! He also still enjoys playing golf and is glad the weather is getting warm enough to be outside!
Strokes are the number 5 cause of death and number one cause of disability in the United States. Even with all of the challenges that my dad faces on a daily basis, he stays positive and is thankful to be able to experience life with my mom, Kara, Matt, Addy, Olivia, and me.... We're also thankful for the speech progress he has made, even though it's been limited. Doctors originally said he would not regain any speech and he proved them wrong.
While he can't help but to question why this happened to him, he is still confident that God is good and has a great plan for his life. It's not easy to say that, but we've decided as a family to choose to be joyful despite the challenges. We've all been grateful for the number of people who have reached out and helped over the past 5 years!
Love,
The Brosmer Family
A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they recover when they fall. - Serena Williams
When you replace "why is this happening to me?" with "what is this trying to teach me?" everything shifts.
Though none of us would ever wish this for anyone, it's perhaps not unexpected that even in the face of tremendous challenge, Bob Brosmer is still an inspiration. Despite your challenges speaking today, I continue to hear his voice in my ear every day, guiding me to do the right and hard thing.
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland