Zachary Brockman

Zach was born on August 10, 1983, in Sedalia, Missouri. He spent his childhood in various small towns across mid-Missouri before relocating to Kansas City in fifth grade — a move that would ultimately shape the rest of his life. In high school band camp, he met Michelle, with whom he would later build a life and family.

He graduated from Oak Park High School in 2002 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with an emphasis in Nutrition from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 2006. Zach often credited his favorite professor and mentor, Dr. Spain, with helping him make it to graduation. Throughout his career, he worked across manufacturing, operations, food safety, animal nutrition, and entrepreneurship, bringing curiosity, intelligence, and a natural problem-solving mind to everything he did. He had an innate fascination with how things were made and genuinely loved understanding how systems worked.

But the role Zach cherished most was being Zoe’s dad.

Zoe was his greatest joy and the center of his world. He loved her fiercely and wholeheartedly, and there was never any doubt how much she meant to him. So much of who Zach was could be seen in the quiet consistency, care, humor, and love he brought to being her dad.

That same steadiness defined the way he moved through the world. Zach was deeply loyal, dependable, and protective of the people he cared about. He was a wonderful friend, a trusted mentor, and someone who genuinely enjoyed helping others grow — often taking colleagues under his wing and advocating fiercely for the wellbeing of his teams. Whether at home, at work, or among friends, people knew they could count on him. 

Zach was an incredible father, partner, mentor, and friend, and he will be profoundly missed.