Adolph O. Broda, a kind man, passed away April 29, 2012, in Lompoc. He was born June 9, 1926, in Poland near the German border.

At the age of 17 he was detained by the German Army and transported into Germany to work on forced labor gangs repairing bombed railroads. It was the last time he saw his parents or his sister. Fortunately, he spoke German which helped him during his imprisonment.

Subsequently, he was liberated by the American Army from his German captors in France. He joined the Polish 2nd Corp, 8th British Army in the Italian campaign. After the war he lived in Paris working as a mechanic. He was praised for his work ethic, but had to be let go in order to make way for a French worker under the laws favoring French citizens instituted after the war.

He could not gain passage to the United States and went to Australia where employees were needed. After working there for a number of years, in 1962, he finally found his way to the United States arriving in Los Angeles. For thirty years he operated Steve Key's Garage on Avenue 28 in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles specializing in Volkswagen repairs.

He retired and moved to Lompoc in 1993. He spoke four languages, Polish, German, French and English. Along the way he helped many friends and assisted others in purchasing their homes bettering their lives. He had sympathy for recent immigrants based on his own life experience and responded liberally to their needs. He was a great lover of animals and a supporter of charities both nationally and locally. He especially supported VIVA of Lompoc.

He leaves surviving nieces living in the Czech Republic and many friends here and in Los Angeles who remember him fondly. No services are pending per his wishes.