Feb 19, 2024

Terry Brox, Jr., age 62

Posted Feb 19, 2024 3:29 PM

Terrance Alfred Brox, Jr., who was well known as Terry, died unexpectedly on Feb. 15, 2024, in Manhattan. 

Mass of Christian burial to celebrate Terry’s life will be on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Benedict Church with Fr. Jeremy Heppler, OSB, as celebrant. A rosary will be Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. with visitation to follow from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home. He will be laid to rest at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. 

Terry was born in Atchison on Jan. 4, 1962, to Terry and JoAnn (Whaley) Brox. As he grew up, he worked with his dad and grandpa at the family business, Brox for Rocks. He attended Maur Hill Prep where he played football, which led to a state victory his senior year. He graduated from Maur Hill in 1980 and attended Vo-Tech where he learned auto body repair. He moved to Great Bend in 1981 and worked at Bud Stein's Body Shop then Reiter Chevrolet.

He met Ruby Scott in 1986, and the two married on July 29, 1988. In 1988, he opened Terry's Total Auto Body in Hoisington. He later owned Auto Connections in Hoisington. They had five beautiful children during their 20 years of marriage. He was a hard worker all of his life, most of which was working to provide for his family. He did paintless dent repair for many years which took him to several states over those years. Ruby and their oldest three would travel to wherever he was every summer and make the greatest memories. Sometimes the travel was for R/C airplane contests, which were a passion of his. Terry and Ruby had two more children later in their marriage who were welcomed and loved unconditionally.

Terry was a family man through and through, he moved his family back to Atchison after the divorce in December 2008. He took over the family business and it became Brox Contractors LLC. He was an intellectual man with a love for all things space and a deep respect for history. He was a huge fan of Star Trek, something he shared with his mom. He had a deep reverence for our military and was quite proud of his youngest daughter's service in the Air Force. He bragged about all of his kids to anyone and everyone willing to listen, whether it was about his two daughters who are nurses, his daughter with all the natural talent, his daughter in the Air Force who has the voice of an angel, or his son who was so adept at anything he put his mind to. He loved being a dad and he loved being a grandpa even more. He always told his kids never let good enough be good enough and wished for nothing but success and happiness for all of his kids and grandkids.

He began dating Barbara "Barbie" Thoren from Great Bend within the last year. Never could anyone imagine his life would end so unexpectedly at 62 but there was no doubt, he found love at the end. He always had a smile for everyone he met, whether it was stopping in at Casey's in the morning or going to the donut shop; he never met a stranger and he never turned anyone down for help. His kindness, compassion, intelligence, tenacity and deep love for family lives on through his children. His light lives on through everyone whose lives were touched by him.

Survivors include: his daughters, Samantha, Meagan, Kelly, and Randi; his son, Andy; his sister, Pam Brader (Robert); his grandsons, Victor, Terrance, and Lane; his granddaughters, Leah and Luna; his nephew, Dustin Kuhnert (Jayme); four great-nieces and two great-nephews; his girlfriend, Barbie Thoren; his ex-wife and mother to his kids, Ruby; and too many other loved ones and friends to count. He was preceded in death by his parents, Terry and JoAnn Brox; his nephew, Derek Kuhnert; and a great-nephew.