Steve Brown

In everything he did, Stephen “Steve” Brown was the heartbeat of the world around him. He was warm, approachable, and genuine, which made him the sort of person that others were attracted to. The rock of his family, he was a loving and devoted husband and father, and later in life he was filled with great joy to become a grandfather to the two grandchildren who were the light of his life. During times of struggle, Steve’s strength and courage were so inspiring, and he was able to see the positive side in every situation. Life will never be the same without him here, but he leaves behind a timeless legacy that his loved ones will proudly carry on in his footsteps.

It seems only fitting that Steve’s journey began during a time that was as vibrant as he was. In the 1950s, Chicago was the second most populous city in the United States. The 50s were also considered one of the most creative periods of music for Chicago due to the Southside rival of Chess and VeeJay battling for the rhythm-and-blues market. 1956 brought the NY Yankees a World Series Title when they defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers. And, the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons for the NBA Championships. Amidst this exciting time was the year 1956 when Wilbert and Helen Brown welcomed the healthy baby boy they named Stephen Laurence into their hearts and home in Chicago, Illinois. Often called “Stevie” by his siblings, Rochelle, Phyllis, Angela, and Wilbert, he was raised in the family home in Chicago as the middle of five Brown children. His father worked as a supervisor at Chicago Metropolitan Mutual Assurance Company and blue print analyst at Signode Corporation.

During his elementary school years, Stevie set the quiet tone for excellence when administrators at his private school, St. Edmunds, saw that the curriculum was not accelerated enough for his skills so he received a double promotion. Moving on to further enhance his academic training, Steve’s family was so proud when he was enrolled at the prestigious world renowned University of Chicago Laboratory School where the benefits of receiving an education at a premier educational institution later led him to Drury College. It was also while at Lab School that Steve made several lifelong friends.

Even during his earliest years Stevie was a bustle of activity. He was an avid sports fan just like his father, and he also proved to be quite an athlete himself. As a boy Steve played baseball, and during high school he got into fencing and was also on the basketball team. His love for basketball continued in his adult life as well. Because his mother wanted him to be well rounded in body and mind, she recognized the importance of musical training as it further enhances self discipline and academics. For this reason, Stevie was enrolled in violin classes with Professor Frederick.

Poised for greatness, Steve studied psychology at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri. He later entered the work force in a field where human behavior impacted the work environment, and Steve honed his craft as he integrated skills of organization, multi-tasking, negotiations, communications, and the capacity to handle discrete and ethical issues. In 1986, Steve moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to work for Magnavox. For 20 years, he was the human resource manager for Magnavox/Raytheon, using his radiance and brilliant nature with each individual.

New and exciting changes were in store for Steve when he met the woman who would forever hold the key to his heart. Her name was Dorothy, and they became coworkers in 1987, but it wasn’t until several years later that they became an item. A new chapter in their 22 year love story was started when they finally made their relationship official on October 24, 1998, when they exchanged their vows in front of family and friends at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory. In addition, Steve embraced the additional responsibility of becoming a father to Melanie. Steve and his wife were also guardians to several furry four-legged friends over the years including Bagheera, Triscuit, Alex, Murphy, and Ella. Steve and Dorothy were a perfect match. They enjoyed traveling together and took their first getaway to Hampton, Virginia, to see his niece, Candi, graduate from Hampton University. They later traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona, and then overseas to Liverpool, England. Over the years they spent many hours traveling to Southwestern Ohio to visit Melanie and the grandkids. In fact, Steve just might have argued that there was nothing that made him more proud than becoming a Papa on January 5, 1999, when his grandson, Jacob, was born. It was equally a glorious day when his granddaughter, Ciaran, was born on May 27, 2008.

Some of Steve’s most treasured moments were spent with his family. He loved having everyone together for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. This was Steve’s time to shine as he had fantastic skills in the kitchen and took great care in making sure that the turkey was flavorful. His granddaughter would argue that Papa made the best ribs. Steve enjoyed taking trips with Dorothy and his grandson, Jacob, to Chicago, but Jacob also thought that nothing beat just hanging out with Steve. The two could often be found watching westerns together.

Throughout his life Steve was a man of many interests. He was a sports fan who loved watching NBA basketball, especially the Chicago Bulls, as well as football and the Chicago Bears. When not watching sports Steve liked watching cooking shows on television as these gave him plenty of inspiration to get creative in the kitchen. Within his community, he played co-ed softball with a team for Magnavox, was involved with Fort Wayne Junior Achievement, and enjoyed committing many hours to working with youth in Ft Wayne. Steve liked listening to old school R&B and smooth jazz, but one of his favorite things to do was to get people dancing, even people who didn't feel comfortable on the dance floor. In the end, they had such an amazing time.

All who knew Steve Brown would agree that he was such a blessing in every sense of the word. He was kind, generous, and loving with a zest for life that was truly contagious. Steve’s intellect was easy to see, and he was known for giving advice that was timeless and based in wisdom that was unmatched. His smile and personality lit up a room like no other, and his patience was nothing short of extraordinary. A friend of Steve’s was a friend for life, and he never met a stranger. Deeply loved, he will be forever missed by all who were blessed to know and love him.

Steve Brown, of Fort Wayne, died Sunday January 22, 2017. Steve’s family includes his wife, Dorothy Brown of Fort Wayne; mother, Helen Brown of Chicago; daughter, Melanie (Edward) Ricart; grandson, Jacob; granddaughter, Ciaran; sisters, Phyllis (Raymond) Soriano of Chicago, Angela (Keith) Washington of Chicago; brother, Wilbert (Nancy) Brown of Chicago; mother-in-law, Rose Pinnington of Fort Wayne; father-in-law, John Riley of Liverpool, UK; sisters-in-law, Jacqueline Riley of Fort Wayne and Amanda (Steve) Webb of Fort Wayne; five nieces; four nephews one great niece; three great nephews; and his furry, four-legged companions, Murphy and Ella. Steve was preceded in death by his father, Wilbert Brown; sister, Rochelle Gipson. Memorial service will be held Friday at 6 p.m. with memorial gathering from 4-6 p.m. at Pinnington Funeral & Cremation Services 502 N .Main Street, Auburn. Rev. Larry Merino will be officiating. Memorial donations may be made to Parkview Home Health and Hospice.