"I got my first paper route through Rich when I was in elementary school. He was a great role model for me. I lost track of him for the past 17 years of being away from Winona. My late condolences go out to his family."
In loving memory of
Richard J. Brown
April 25, 1938 - January 23, 2011
Richard J. Brown, 72, died Sunday, January 23, 2011, at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in LaCrosse, WI. Rich was born April 25, 1938, in Mankato, MN, to John and Hedwig (Young) Brown. He served in the U. S. National Guard. Rich married Renee Munson on June 8, 1963, in Winona, MN. Rich retired from St. Mary's University where he worked as a security guard. He was a member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. Rich was active in all kinds of sports and had served as the B-squad Cotter boys basketball coach under John Nett. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and watching them playing sports.
Survivors include his wife, Renee; two daughters, Cari (John) Hansen of Rollingstone, MN, and Christi (Dan) Lawing of Flat Rock, NC; six grandchildren, Makala, Christopher and Jacob Hansen, Mitch and Connor Lind, and Ella Lawing; sister, Donna Peplinski of Winona, MN; and brother, John (Janet) Brown of Watertown, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter, Amy, and sister, Patricia.
A Funeral Mass will be offered on Thursday, Jan. 27th, at 11:00am, at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Winona, MN, with the Reverend Thomas Hargesheimer officiating. Interment will take place later this spring in St. Mary's Cemetery in Winona. Visitation will be held at Hoff Funeral and Cremation Service Hansen Goodview Chapel on Wednesday from 4-8:00pm where there will be a Knights of Columbus service at 7:00pm and a Christian Prayer service immediately following. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.
Please share a memory of Rich with his family, sign his online guestbook or view his video tribute when it becomes available online at: www.hofffuneral.com
Tribute video can be found at: http://videos.lifetributes.com/192330
Tributes
"I am very proud of the man I called uncle Rich. A very humble, loving,gracious man who is an inspiration to us all, an actual blue print for all of us to live by. He will be missed by all that knew him because of these qualities and I know I will never forget him. My condolences to his entire family whom he loved very deeply. I just have one thing left to say, az-zayba-goo-day!"
"As I look back to when I was a little girl up until now, it's clear to me who I always looked up to and admired. Grandpa Brown was an amazing athlete in anything he played and has taught me so much of how to play the game today, especially for basketball and softball. From shooting hoops with me to catching for me when I'd pitch a softball to him I can truly say I wouldn't be as successful today without him. I not only looked up to him in sports, but also just life in general. One thing he always told me was that sports are important, but nothing compared to how important my academics were. He was always so proud and happy to hear if I had a great game in my sports, but his eyes would always tear up when he saw my report card. Grandpa Brown loved his family with his whole heart and just got joy out of the simple things in life. He was my #1 fan for everything I did and I will miss him more than anything. Love you forever and always Grandpa Brownie. âTM¥ Love, Kala Babe"
"Dear Brown Family, Though your heart must hold deep sadness at the loss of the one you loved, may it also hold the blessings of the life you shared and the love that will always be part of you. Praying that God will comfort your heart, uplift your spirit, and carry you through this time of sadness to a place of peace . Pat Lawing"
"Dear family of Rich...I was sorry to hear of your deep loss. I am praying that God will comfort all of you with His love and you will have peace and joy with life. Rich will always be with you in spirit,as I know in my own life.So,keep your faith and believe that he is with you as God is with you now and always.Take good care and be with eachother as often as you can. Love to all of you...Dian"
"Dear Brown Family....our deepest sympathies go out to you all, during this very painful time. May God grant you the strength and love you each need, to get through your healing. In time the pain will ease, but you will never forget. Hold tight to the memories....he will be with you, forever in your heart. Cherish the memories you hold so close. Always remember he is in the best place ever. No pain, hurt, or sadness. We suffer so badly, his suffering is gone. We are praying for your strength....God Bless you all...Thinking of you. ~The Bambenek's"
"I played one year for Coach Brown and I will always remember him fondly. He was soft-spoken but firm and knew what to expect from each player. Most of all I remember how much he truly cared for his players and wanted so much for us to succeed. Having a coach like that in those early years meant the world to me, without him I doubt I would've continued playing. You could tell he loved the sport and wanted his players to love the game as well. I saw him many years later and went to introduce myself, but I didn't need to, he remembered me - what a guy! Rich was a special coach and a special man, the kind we need so many more of today. May God bless his family in their time of need."
"My deepest sympathies - I had the pleasure to talk to Rich numerous times in his job working security on the Cotter Campus. As fine a gentleman as I have ever met, I was blessed to know him! R.L."
"To the Brown Family: We all know that: No time is good to lose a Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother, or Son No time is measured to keep them here with us. God gave us our family to love, to cherish, to enjoy and then return back to him when he ask. It is not easy to let him go, but we must remember: Eternal life was granted unto him O Lord Let the perpetual light shine upon him, and may his soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen"
"Renee and family, I am so sorry for your loss. Please remember that you are in my prayers and thoughts. May God bless each of you."
""Perhaps they are not the stars but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." [Eskimo Legend] Renee, Cari & Christy and extended families: I am so sorry for your loss. Be thankful for the wonderful times you shared, of which there are so many. All of you hold a special place in my heart for the wonderful day care family you were to Jeff. He loved your whole family. It's hard to let go, but remember Rich is now at peace with no suffering. Renee, you kept him going with your awesome care and now it is time to take care of "you!" If you ever want to talk, please call. Love, Marge"
"Renee, Cari, Christy and families, Our deepest sympathies to you all at this sad time. May the happy memoris of your time with your husband, father and grandfather help to ease the pain that your feeling today and bring smiles to your faces in the future. God Bless, Julie, Lane and Drew Gustavson"
"Renee, Cari and John, Christi and Dan, special grandchildren to Rich. You all were such a wonderful loving family. Sharing, laughing, playing games all the good family activities that families do. Rich, was a wonderful husband, father, granndfather, brother to John and Donna, Patricia. Always had a kind and caring good word for people. Loved his sports and even Renee's soaps once in awhile. He enjoyed reading good books, mysteries and sports magazines. He was so proud of his granddaughter's fast pitching for WSHS. He would call me and tell me to look at the paper right away. Rich had many challenges with his health but handled them with grace and strength and the love of His Heavenly Father, and the "tender loving care" of Renee, always at his side. We all love you Rich, and thank you for giving each of us such wonderful memories. Renee, thank you for taking such good care of my loving brother. Donna"
"Renee, Cari & Christi & family - heartfelt sympathy to you all. Rich was a good man and I have many fond memories of him from when I was younger. May you be comforted by the memories you all have of a wonderful husband, father and grandpa."
"To: the family of Rich Brown From: Peggy(Vaughan) Stella I was sorry to hear that my classmate for 12 years has passed away. Please accept my condolences. I remember Rich well. You can't spend 12 formative years without feeling a loss."
"Renee, John & Cari, Christi and your families: My sympathy goes out to you in the loss of your husband, father and grandfather. I have many memories from the time my girls were little. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Barb"
"We were saddened to hear of Rich's passing. We have many happy memories of him and the whole family. He was always so friendly and whenever we saw him when we were on our bike rides and he was making his rounds at the Cotter campus, he always took the time to wave and holler "Hello girls"! He and Renee were a striking couple and Fran and Chris used to babysit the girls, who were so much fun to be with! Looking at the pictures, we can see there was a lot of time spent together! Cherish these memories and think about happy times together to get you through this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you."
"Uncle Rich was a kind gentle man who loved his family. My favorite memory of him was when he called me "Porkchop" when I was little. And all the family picnics in Red Wing. What fun. R.I.P. Uncle Rich, you deserve it. I will miss you. Love, Sheila"
"Wonderful man, very proud of his beautiful family. Always smiling and full of life. My favorite memories are of he and John sharing jokes with each other at the annual family picnic in Red Wing. Those two would make each other laugh all day long. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Renee, Cari and Christi, he will be missed."
"Rich was a wonderful man! May he find peace again. We will miss him."
"Our thoughts and prayers to Loreen and family, former classmate."
"My thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time. Mr. Brown was a neighbor and my coach at St. Stan's many years ago. I was a third-stringer, (he let me play a couple of times;) but I am very proud of the unbeaten record he coached our team to that year, and I am grateful for the lessons he shared and the poise that he displayed. A friendly neighbor, long after I had moved, he always had a welcome greeting whenever we would see each other over the years. May the joyful memories of his life with his family overcome the sadness of his passing."
"Renee, We're so sorry to hear of Richard's death. He was a great guy and will be missed by many. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you at this time and realize that he is in a better place looking down on you. Chuck & Ginny Vaughan"
"Renee, we are sorry for the loss of Rich. May he rest in peace and may you find the strength to face tomorrow in the love that surrounds you today. Thoughts and prayers. Kathie Burns and family."