Claude Edward “Ed” Broom, 88, of Vero Beach and New London, N.H., passed away in New London, N.H., on Oct. 1, 2016.
Broom was devoted to his wife Joan to whom he was married for 62 years. They had seven children, Michael Broom, MD (Jet) Orlando, Fla., Fr. Edward Broom, OMV, Los Angeles, Calif., Thomas Broom (Jacqui) New London, N.H., Christopher Broom (Jodi) North Hampton, N.H., Victoria Rublee, New London, N.H., James Broom (Kristen) Rye, N.H., Mary McMenaman (Matthew), New London, N.H. and foster sons Michael Willerer (Rachel) Newmarket, N.H., and David (Pryscilla) Willerer, Sarasota, Fla. They had 38 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was born in Detroit, Mich., on July 6, 1928 to Claude Broom Sr. and Ruth (Drouillard) Broom, the second of their five children.
He served in the US Army occupation of Japan. He was a graduate of Michigan State University where he was a member of Theta Xi fraternity.
He began his investment career on Wall Street with Paine Webber. He held a variety of management positions there, leaving the firm as a corporate vice president in the Corporate Finance Division. He moved to Boston where he was a Senior Vice President, Director of Institutional Marketing for The Boston Company, a bank and money management companies holding company. He subsequently became Chairman and CEO of its institutional investment subsidiaries.
Leaving the Boston Company, Broom co-founded Resource Investments, a firm that pioneered institutional investments in timberland. It acquired forests throughout the US, New Zealand and South America. Following the sale of the firm to the Union Bank of Switzerland he co-founded Strategic Timber Investments and became active investing in small and startup companies.
Broom was dedicated to Catholic education and other Catholic causes. He was a director of Mount Royal Academy, Thomas More College and several companies. He was an Advisory board member of Ave Maria University, The Oblates of the Virgin Mary and The Cardinal Newman Society.
Friends may call at the Chadwick Funeral Home 235 Main Street, New London, N.H. on Oct. 6, 2016, from 4 to 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be said at Our Lady of Fatima Church, New London, N.H., on Oct. 7, 2016, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers the family would welcome gifts to Mount Royal Academy, Sunapee, N.H. in Ed’s name.