Chuck Brown was a strong family man who was devoted to his family. Though he was a quiet man his thoughts ran deep. He was gifted with Faith In Christ in 1974.
He never wavered in his beliefs and he loved the Lord Jesus. Chuck was a member of Word Alone Fellowship. He was passionate about golf and spending time with his golf buddies.
Though the past few years Chuck’s health had declined, he never complained. Chuck passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on May 30th. Chuck was born in Havelock, NE, on October 27, 1937, the last of 8 children to Lewis Raymond Brown and Rachel (Harmonie) Brown.
Times were difficult and money was scarce so he quit school and joined the Navy at the tender age of 16. His Mother only signed the papers allowing him to sign up early because she didn’t think they would accept him due to a hip injury that he had got playing football with his friends. There his lifetime career in the Navy began.
After boot camp, he started out as a Personnel Man, Class A. Throughout his Navy career, he was stationed in; Chicago; Tacoma; Mountain View, CA, Moffett Field; Okinawa for Patrol support Force and service into Vietnam; San Diego where He served on the USS Bon Homme Richard aircraft carrier during Vietnam conflict; San Francisco, Hunter’s Point Naval Station; Washington DC. , and detachment to New Zealand and Antarctica Support Force. Though he never finished high school, he got his GED while in the Navy and worked his way up until he reached Lieutenant Commander and served at the Pentagon as a Administrative Aid for the Chief of Naval Bureau Personnel, Admiral Zumwalt, and also at the Bureau of Naval Personnel for his final 8 years.
For Chuck’s children, Admiral Zumwalt was “Grandpa Zumwalt! Chuck received the Navy Commendation Medal for meritorious service as Administrative Officer for the Director, Navy Program Planning, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from June 1972 through July 1974. After serving honorably for 22 years he retired from the Navy June 30, 1976 at the age of 39.
He met and married the love of his life, Medelia (Dee) Ann Stockwell, in Lodi, California on November 26, 1960. Together they had 5 children while traveling the country and living the military life. After his Navy career he decided to follow his dream to go to college.
Chuck and Dee chose to move back near Dee’s family in North Dakota after being so far away during their military years. They settled on Dickinson, ND and there Chuck earned a his Degree in Secondary Education Summa Cum Laude at Dickinson State College. He purchased a Tree and Plant Nursery and was a business owner, worked for Job Service, was an IDS counselor and sold investments during the 13 years they resided in Dickinson.
They moved to Maple Grove, MN 1988, where he was an Accounting Manager for a construction company until 1999 when he went into full retirement and they moved to Alexandria to be near family. He and Dee planned family vacations yearly at a Lake Resort that created so many happy memories for the children and grandchildren and hosted Brother and Sister Reunions for Dee’s siblings at their lake home. Retirement was all about family, boating and lake living, a good game of Oh Hell or cribbage, and especially golfing and spending time with his golf buddies.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Dee Brown; Children, Michael Brown; Susan (Doyle) Polson, Roger (Tracy) Brown, Karen (Jeff) Stroup; Grandchildren, Brandee (Anhthi) Tran, Devin (Ingrid) Polson, Benjamin (Ashley) Brown, Justin (Kaila) Brown, and Alex Brown; step children: Michael & Sara Volk and Great Grandchildren, Brendan, Logan, Braelynn, and Zoey. Memorial service will be held Monday, June 4, 2018, 11:00 a.m. at the Anderson Funeral Home with a visitation one hour prior. Burial will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
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