Hometown Hillsdale: Jan Brodbeck, ’67

Written by Stephanie Gordon

In 1963, Jan Piwonka Brodbeck, ’67, ventured to Hillsdale College from the Cleveland, Ohio, area. She met her husband, former Board of Trustees Chairman William “Bill” Brodbeck, at Hillsdale and went on to have three children, devoting her life to family and volunteer work. Small-town living, with an emphasis on community and giving back, has made calling Hillsdale home a joy to Jan and Bill.

During her time at Hillsdale, Jan was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and a contributor to the student-run literary journal The Tower Light. Jan majored in art and explained that the art courses were her favorite. She met her husband, Bill, the third weekend of her freshman year. 

The couple married shortly after graduation in 1967 and stayed local to Hillsdale while Bill worked in development for the College, and Jan in advertising for the Hillsdale Daily News. After a few years, the couple left Hillsdale when Bill joined  his family’s supermarket business in Wisconsin. 

“We lived in a small town, similar to Hillsdale, for 30 years,” Jan said. “We raised our three daughters there, and eventually all three daughters attended and graduated from Hillsdale College.” 

But Wisconsin wasn’t the final stop for the Brodbecks. While their lives took them to other states like Florida and South Carolina, they stayed rooted in Hillsdale College. Bill devoted decades of service to the College, serving as chairman for nearly 20 years. Jan stayed busy with her own volunteer work, staying connected to Hillsdale-area organizations.

“I am a member of the Women Commissioners, and I would come back to Hillsdale often for our annual events,” said Jan. “I also work on a committee for the Charger Derby, which helps raise funds for Hillsdale College student scholarships.”

In addition to Jan’s involvement with the Women Commissioners, she’s active in the Hillsdale Garden Club, especially their annual greens sale, and the Woman’s Club of Hillsdale. “I have always felt that if you are part of a community, you should give back in some way,” Jan said. “I have met so many people that I would not normally see on a daily basis.”

The Brodbecks moved back to Hillsdale in 2015, calling it the “final stop.” They have enjoyed having close access to the College and its CCAs (Center for Constructive Alternatives), and sitting in on classes to stay intellectually stimulated. Jan appreciates what the City of Hillsdale has to offer, along with its “easiness” and “normalness.”

For Jan, she particularly appreciates the many friendships she and Bill have established throughout the years. “The many friendships we have made through Hillsdale events and renewing friendships of classmates who still visit Hillsdale has been wonderful,” Jan said.

“We have come full circle,” Jan smiled. “Attending Hillsdale, meeting Bill, our daughters attending the College, and serving the College for many years makes us feel this way. And now we are retired where life started for us. It’s a good thing.”

Stephanie Gordon, a lifelong Hillsdale native, is the managing editor of Virtue and Valor: The Official Blog of Hillsdale College. She is married to chiropractor, Dr. Matt Gordon, and has three children – Eloise, Flora, and Jack. When she has a spare moment, she enjoys paleo baking, floating on Baw Beese Lake, and breaking a sweat at the gym.

Published in April 2024