Scott Stephen Brown

Scott Stephen Brown  March 4, 1966- 08/31/2017 It is with devastating sadness that we come together today to honor, remember and CELEBRATE the life of my beloved brother, Scotty Brown.  He was loved by all who knew him, and our world will never be the same again. Born on March 4, 1966 to Monica McReynolds Brown and Roland Hugh Brown, Scotty was their fourth child.  He is survived by his brother Phil, sisters Andrea and Lisa, and four nieces: Christina and Danielle Brown Covington, Lauren Snyder, Erin Brown and nephew Kyle Brown, as well as his daughter, Alexi Miles Brown.  Family in Chicago include his Uncle Ken Brown, aunt Judy Brown, cousins Manette McReynolds, Michelle Sibigtroth, their children Marissa, Natalie, Matthew, and grandson Levon. I remember the day Scotty came home from the hospital!  I was only 6, and we got to briefly hold him on our laps while our Mom held her breath, praying we wouldn’t drop him.  Dad told me later that immediately upon giving birth to Scotty, Mom said “He seems like a nice person.”  From the very early years right up to his passing, Scotty captured the hears of all who knew him.   He had a gift of bonding with people from all walks of life, and could charm even the most cynical.  Exceptionally intelligent and a natural athlete,  Scotty excelled at whatever he set out to do.  He was a meticulous carpenter, and spent a summer building a new garage and billiards room for our Dad in Wisconsin.  He measured time and again to ensure the floor was level so the billiards table would be perfectly level for our Dad. How he loved spending time with Dad. Scotty was an avid outdoors man, loved fishing, hiking, skiing, and music.  His reverence for nature was unwavering, which he demonstrated by consistently donating to have trees planted after wild fires destroyed trees outside of Durango.  Gifts to his nieces were to have trees planted in their names.  He embraced his spirituality through nature.  Scotty also loved animals, especially dogs.  He typically had at least 2 dogs, sometimes even 10!  At one point he had a wolf dog named Shasta, that was really all wolf!  He could train even the most unruly dog.  Once when Scotty was about 3 years old, we were on vacation at a lake to go fishing (of course) and Scotty disappeared.  Mom was frantic, searching everywhere for him.  But he was found safe and sound, sitting under a table petting a huge pit bull that had “Beware of Dog” signs everywhere.  Scotty sat there smiling, happily petting the dog.  This bond with animals continued all his life. A natural athlete, Scotty grew up in a “Football Family” where every Sunday from August to January we were at football games.  From Pee Wee football to varsity and even playing college football for Northern Illinois University, Scotty loved football.  Of course he was an avid Bears fan!  Once Walter Peyton, aka Sweetness, came to Crystal Lake, and Scotty went up and asked him to come over for dinner!  Sweetness politely declined, but autographed a jersey for him.  We would talk football every Sunday, even last Sunday.  Ever the optimist, he hoped the Bears’ new lineup would have a good season.  I will be watching every Sunday, knowing Scotty is beside me rooting for the Bears. Scotty so loved music, like his parents and siblings.  He loved going to live concerts!  We went to many concerts together, including Fleetwood Mac, Bob Seger and Genesis.  The Fleetwood Mac concert our Dad got the super expensive tickets so we were front row.  A shared experience of a lifetime.  He truly love Stevie Ray Vaughn, and got his SRV hat autographed by Stevie himself after a concert!  He went to the first Lollapalooza festival in Colorado.  Shortly after Lisa called me on Thursday morning with the terrible news, I was in my car and what came on the radio?  Steview Ray Vaughn, “The Sky is Crying”.  It was no coincidence since we were all crying. Scotty also loved skiing, learning when he only about 7.  We spent many funtes skiing together, even night skiing.  He especially loved skiing the Colorado mountains, Telluride, Uray to name a few.  And of course living on Lake Vallecito outside Durango, he hiked daily. Scotty was a self-less, devoted son to our mom and dad.  When Mom was passing away from cancer, he lovingly held her hand and mine as she moved to the next dimension.  When Dad suffered a massive stroke, Scotty called every Sunday without fail to talk to Dad.  He even carred extra phone batteries with him in case of an emergency with Dad.  We are truly blessed that we were all together as a family at Christmas a year and a half ago, all four children and granddaughters to spend with Dad/Grandpa.  Sadly Dad passed away a few months later.  I am forever in my sister Lisa’s debt for making that family get together happen.  It was a joyful time for all of us. Not surprisingly, Scotty was beloved by his life-long friends.  I have been in contact with many of them, Donna, Brandy, Ricky and Scott to name a few.  I will happily share their memories with you later today.  Loyal, kind, and generous are his characteristics personified.  He loved his nieces and nephew, loved hearing about what they were doing and was so proud of their chosen paths in life.  Lauren had the pleasure of getting to know Scotty during the years he spent in Austin with Lisa and Len.  Lauren, Scotty told me many times how much he loved how smart, talented and focused your are.  He was also extremely proud of Christina and Danielle.  As a construction worker and carpenter, he especially loved that Danielle is pursuing her career in architecture.  As for Christina’s work on clinical trials cancer research, he said “Thank God someone brilliant is trying to find a cure!”  And of course Scotty loved Lisa and Len for all their love, support and generosity when he needed it most.  Thank you from the depth of my heart for all that you’ve done.  Throwing a fabulous birthday party for him last year, which he loved.  I am so blessed that I was able to come celebrate with him.  You and Olga were her for Scotty when he needed you most, encouraging him and protecting him. So in closing, let us CELEBRATE the beautiful loving man, Scotty Brown, by sharing stories, honoring his playful spirit by laughing through our tears.  I know he is in a better place.   A Poem for Scotty: Death is nothing at all.  It does not count.  I have only slipped away into the next room.  Everything remains exactly as it was.  I am I and you are you.  The old life that we lived so fondly remains untouched.  Whatever we were to to each other, that we still are.  Speak of me in the easy way you always used.  Laugh as we always laughed.  Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.  Let my name name be spoken without the ghost of a shadow upon it.  Life means all that it has ever meant.  There is absolute and unbroken continuity.  I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.  All is well.