WHS graduate remembered by staff and former students

High school classes come and go every four years, fresh new faces becoming familiar faces, soon to become a fading memory. Every once in awhile, though, a face leaves a stronger impression. To many at WHS, Brock Lindberg, 2013 WHS graduate and Washington State University junior, was one of these faces — and the memories he left have only grown fonder following his parting.

On the morning of Oct. 24, Lindberg was pronounced dead after he was found in his fraternity bedroom on the WSU campus unconscious and unresponsive. Medics attempted CPR but were not able to revive Lindberg, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death is unknown; however there were no signs of his death being a suicide or homicide. The death is being investigated by Pullman police and the Whitman County coroner.

Those affected by Lindberg’s death remember him through fond memories of his personality. WHS fitness teacher Shelly Jelsing had a close connection with Lindberg. While she never had him in a class, Jelsing talked to him almost every day. Jelsing vividly remembers his personality as excited and social. Lindberg loved working with special education students and was a ray of happiness to everyone who knew him.

“I was in shock. It’s one of those things that you just don’t fathom, he had a bright future — he was double majoring — and you just don’t imagine that,” Jelsing said. “You’ve got to appreciate and love life, because you just never know.”

History teacher Adam MacDonald looks back to his initial days at WHS, when he had Lindberg in his fourth-period Citizen Washington class.

“It was the first time I’d ever taught the course, and the first semester I’d ever taught in Wenatchee,” MacDonald said. “Brock had a great smile and a warmth of personality that made him someone that made the whole class better, smarter, and happier by his presence… [He] was an excellent student and a genuinely kind person.”

One memory stands out in particular.

“The major project for this class was a massive research paper called the Public Policy Paper, which required a large amount of student work. Brock handed in one of the best papers I received all year: well-researched, tightly argued, and one that showed he genuinely gave his best effort to show what he’d learned. It was the sort of paper that makes a teacher proud that they had really been able to teach a student something and maybe, just maybe, had helped them in their journey.

“It has mainly been a repeated lesson that I have, unfortunately, learned far too often in my life: we never know how much time we are allotted and need to make the most of what we have. I believe Brock did well with this and used his time on Earth wisely; he just didn’t have as much time as we all would have wanted for him. In any case, it has reminded me that nothing is guaranteed.”

Brock was known among his peers as a friend who was always smiling. 2013 WHS graduate Mackenzie English went to school alongside Lindberg and described him as having a happy, life-of-the-party personality.

“He was someone that lots of people strive to be,” English said. “He would always try to make you feel better if you looked sad. It didn’t matter how well you knew him or how much you talked to him. I just want people to know that he cared.”