Barend was married to Jo Verdoner. The couple had two sons: Marcel and Robert. Born and raised in Amsterdam, Barend Broekman escaped Nazi-occupied Holland during World War II in 1942. He emigrated to Manhattan, New York with his wife and sons, and soon thereafter found work in the entertainment industry.
Barend Broekman died on July 8, 1970, at the age of 72 in London, United Kingdom.