Larry Alan Brown

Larry Alan Brown was born on June 28, 1959 in Omaha, Nebraska to parents Berdina Verree Brown and Rodnee Cecil Brown. He was the second of three children, with an older brother, Steven Brown and a younger sister Lori Brown (Hansen). Born and raised in Elkhorn, Nebraska, Larry embodied the spirit of “Nebraska Nice”. He was raised with values of integrity, humility, and kindness. Larry was a jack of all trades in high school. He played basketball, football, baseball, and track- even held the triple jump record at his high school, Elkhorn High, for over 30 years. Larry was also talented musically, and performed in musicals like Oklahoma and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

After Larry graduated, he went on to attend college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A Husker through and through, Larry became a freshman student manager for the Nebraska football team, and then transitioned to the Nebraska Basketball team, where he served as student manager for four years. One of Larry’s proudest accomplishments was being trusted with keys to the Bob Devaney Center, the basketball arena at the time.

Larry stayed in Lincoln to finish his degree, as he switched halfway through from history to computer science. On July 4th, 1985 he met the love of his life, Claire Baker (Brown). Larry and Claire knew immediately that they were meant for one another. Within nine months they were married. Larry and Claire would then move to Denver, Colorado where Larry would build a family, a career, and a legacy.

Larry became a father on April 18, 1990 and he was changed forever. Fatherhood came easily to Larry, as he was naturally a caring and generous person. Claire and Larry were a team and raised Lindsay, until their second daughter, Grace, was born on July 29, 1993. As his kids grew up, Larry was always involved. One of his greatest legacies was sharing with his daughters his love of reading and music. Larry read for hours every day, and he used those hours to travel between the worlds of Westeros and Middle Earth, meet fantastical creatures, and fight for honor, justice, and goodness through the guise of characters. Larry and Claire also spent countless hours supporting Lindsay and Grace as they performed with the Northglenn High School Marching Band and Indoor Percussion Theater. Larry earned the name of “Band Dad” and was known for his gentle care, delicious food, and perfect voice for calling bingo.

One of Larry’s other legacies was his loyalty to his friends. One of his greatest joys was his annual trip with his friends to Steamboat Lake. For the past 34 years, the group has gathered every year during Memorial Day weekend (with a few exceptions) to revel and enjoy one another. Larry was often the life of the party; always there for a joke or a quip. He also enjoyed singing around the campfire, waking up early to stare at the peaceful lake, and fishing for rainbow trout. Larry was also dedicated to the group of friends that he played poker with. It was a sacred time for Larry; almost nothing could get in the way of those poker nights.

This loyalty extended in to his professional life. He spent over 30 years with the same company, currently known as Imagine Communications. The friends he made at work were family to him and he loved being able to work with them every day.

Larry showed his love through service and food. He found great joy in watching people enjoy his cooking. His culinary skills were truly artful. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of eating some of his smoked pork, ribs, or brisket can attest to Larry’s skills. His other specialties included ginger snaps, rhubarb pie, and turkey noodle soup. The kindness and love he put into his food left everyone who enjoyed it with warmth and comfort.

Larry’s life was cut far too short, after battling sickness throughout the fall of 2019. Larry’s last gift to this world was the donation of his organs. Larry is preceded in death by his mother, Berdina Brown and is survived by his father, Rodnee Brown, siblings Steven Brown (wife Corrine Brown) and Lori Hansen (husband Darren Hansen), his beloved wife Claire Brown, his daughter Lindsay and her wife Victoria Bull, and his daughter Grace and her husband, Hali Ortega.