Donald Owen Brown was born 30 July, 1931 in Champaign, IL to Fred Herschel and Alma Elizabeth Rebecca (Nofftz) Brown.  Don was married to Sonya Sue (Massey) Brown on 3 February 1952, in Mattoon, IL.  Before entering the ministry in 1959, Don was in business with his father at Brown Heating and Sheet Metal, was a rural mail carrier, and served as a 2nd Class Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy during the Korean conflict, specializing in aircraft maintenance and hydraulics.  Following his tour of duty, he worked in the Civil Service as an instructor teaching aircraft hydraulics.

Don graduated from Arcola (IL) High School (go Purple Riders!), and received his B.S. in Education from the University of Illinois in 1962.  He was an active lay person and lay minister, preaching at Oakwood, IL and at his hometown church in Arcola, IL.  Don was a "Timothy" of First Christian Church, Mattoon, IL, and also of Bethany Park Christian Church, Rantoul, IL, where he served as Parish and Youth Minister.  Following graduation from college, Don entered Christian Theological Seminary, where he received the Oren E. Scott Preaching Award.  He was nominated in the denominational magazine, The Disciple , as one of the denomination's best preachers.  He received his Master of Divinity from that institution in 1965, and was ordained to Christian ministry in East Lynn Christian Church, Anderson, IN on 1 May, 1966.

Don's first full-time pastorate was in French Lick, IN, where he was also on the faculty of Northwood Institute, teaching rhetoric, and composition and literature.  He was privileged to team-teach with John David Eisenhower, who was a scholar in Shakespearean literature.  While in French Lick, Don was a charter member of the Exchange Club.

In 1970, Don was called to serve the Marshfield Christian Church in Marshfield, MO.  During his tenure there, he was active in both church and civic endeavors, being named Marshfieldian of the Year in 1980.  His work included the formation of a Chamber of Commerce, serving on the zoning and planning commission, cemetery board, Chair of the advisory board of Family Services, initiating and chairing the Tri-County Youth Council -- an emergency care facility for youth, chairing the Red Cross Bloodmobile for 10 years, a member of the Southwest Missouri Health Systems Agency and a member of the executive board of Burrell Mental Health Services of Southwest Missouri.  He was active in Rotary Club, serving as president, and served on the Arrowhead Council of the Boy Scouts of America.  Don also served as both a member and moderator of District 9 of the Christian Church in Mid-America, and as chair of the Regional Christian Education Committee for the Disciples in Missouri.  Don also chaired the regional Camps and Conferences program.

In 1981, Don took an intentional interim from parochial ministry to become the first executive director of Hospice of Southwest Missouri, an agency he helped to form and call into being.  It was the first hospice of its kind in Missouri.  Later in that year, Don was called to First Christian Church, Kingfisher, OK.  During his tenure there, Don served two terms on the executive council of the regional board for the Disciples in Oklahoma.  He also chaired the Committee on Mission and Nurture.

In addition to these, Don has also faithfully served congregations in Anderson, IN, Monroe, LA, Mesa, AZ, Stroud, OK, Merriam Woods, MO, Ozark, MO, and Springfield, MO before fully retiring just a few years ago.  He held standing in both the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ.  Upon his retirement, he received the Honored Minister Pin from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  As a minister, Don can be described as a healer of broken congregations and broken relationships.  He has always been identified by his ability to bring people together, by his common sense and his enthusiasm in ministry.

Don passed to life in the Spirit on 15 May, 2017 at the age of 85.  He is preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Eleanor (Brown) Bright and Edith (Brown) Edwards, and an infant son, Christopher.  He is survived by his wife, the Rev. Sue (Massey) Brown; his children, Brenda Brown of Springfield, MO, Karen Steinke and husband Dr. David of Sturgeon Bay, WI, and the Rev. David Massey-Brown and wife Lisa of Maysville, Kentucky.  He is also survived by his grandchildren, Jennifer and Ariel Massey-Brown, Sean Martin, Matthew (Nicole), Elisha (Melanie) and Aaron Singer, Aaron Steinke, and Kaylyn (Paden) Bender, as well as 10 great grandchildren.

Don shuffled off this mortal coil to join that great cloud of witnesses in the eternal ministry of God's Kin-dom.  The world is a better place for having had him in it, and will be the worse for his passing from it.  If any one is a saint, surely Don is one.  Greatness wrapped in humility, and lots of love and compassion for everyone he knew.

Memorial contributions in memory of Don can be made to Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for their fine tradition of theological education and efforts to move forward with educating Disciple ministers into the future.