Martin R. Brown

Marty was born on June 5, 1944, in Stillwater, OK. His parents, Blair and Dolores Brown, eventually moved to Wanette, OK where Marty grew up on the family farm. The farm taught him hard work and perseverance, and he acquired significant knowledge about animals and life in general. He was also active in Future Farmers of America, school government, and became an Eagle Scout in 1962 prior to his high school graduation.

He attended Oklahoma State University, working on a Microbiology degree, before enlisting in the Army during the Vietnam War. After Basic Training he was accepted into Officer Candidate School and was commissioned and assigned to Germany in 1967 to oversee tank training. Upon extension of his enlistment, he was promoted to Battalion Motor Officer. While in Germany, he met his Texas True Love, Sheila Barnett, who was teaching elementary school on the base. They met on the Army post and dated for two years before getting married in Germany in 1969.

Once Marty fulfilled his Army duties, he and Sheila returned to Oklahoma to continue and further their education at Oklahoma State. After Marty graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in education, they moved to Plano, TX in 1972 in search of teaching careers. Marty first taught at Plano High School (now Williams HS) and Bowman Middle School. He then spent the next 23 years at Schimelpfenig Middle School before retiring. He also received his PhD in Education from the University of North Texas in 1992. He cared deeply for his students and taught them to care for others.

Outside of teaching, Marty found his way into hot air ballooning. As a Master Crew Chief, he and his friends went on ballooning adventures around the country for over 20 years. He even supported several around the world flights as they navigated the United States. He was also always up for a good project with his friends and neighbors. If you wanted him to come over, just tell him you needed help with a project. If you wanted him to come over quickly, just tell him you had plans to cut corners on the project. He would be there to make sure it was done right.

Marty and Sheila had one son, Blair, in 1976, that was a large part of their life. There was no prouder parent than Marty Brown. He was present and attended every game, school function, and life event. This carried forward to his two grandchildren, Andreas and Elin. He was known as Geep to them and will forever be in their hearts.

Marty Brown was a tremendous person that left a positive impact on the world. He ended every email with “I care”, and he did. He loved his family, his friends, his country, and his many students. Marty loved to tell jokes and laugh with family and friends. He brought smiles to all that knew him and will be forever missed.