Larry W. Brown, 78, of Champaign passed away comfortably on Wednesday (Nov. 14, 2018) in Hospice at Meadowbrook Health Center, Urbana, after having surgery, chemo, and radiation for a GBM primary brain tumor in the left frontal lobe diagnosed on June 18, 2018. Larry was born on December 24, 1939 in Avon, IL to C. Wayne Brown and Maxine Mitchell Brown.
Larry attended Yates City Illinois schools and enrolled at the University of Illinois in 1958. Known as “Mr. ROTC” by his housemates, Larry volunteered on the draft for the U.S. Army in January, 1962. After serving two years in the U.S. Signal Corp with six months in Korea, he returned to the states and married Patricia Ann Kimrey of Evergreen Park, IL, on June 20, 1964.
He returned to school and graduated with a BS in Animal Sciences from the U of I in 1966. Larry showed Angus cattle for various farms, including McCormick Angus Farms (International Harvester) and the U of I, owned Town & Country Angus while in Farmer City and owned and rode Arabian horses. He bred, trained, and showed his own German Shepherds (Shanara), handled stud dogs and showed for other breeders, and ran dog training classes for Champaign County 4-H for 25 years and for the Champaign and Monticello Park Districts.
He was a founding member of the Dog Training Club of Champaign-Urbana. He worked in sales for animal feeds and in the seed corn industry. His favorite job of all was as a Study Hall Monitor at Irwin Athletic Center after retiring.
An avid fan of Illini athletics Larry has had season basketball tickets since 1979 and football tickets since 1980. He belonged to the Illini Rebounders and Illini Quarterback Club, was a life-time member of Advantage Illinois (tennis), the American Angus Association, the American Legion, and Golden/Life member of the Illinois Alumni Association, and was a member of the Champaign Illinois Kennel Club and the Danville Illinois Kennel Club. Larry is survived by his wife Pat, his brother/brother-in-law N. Keith Brown and his sister-in-law/sister-in-law, Ellen of Washington, IL; He is survived by nieces and nephews; Eric Brown, Michael Brown (Beverly Beyer), Judy Brown Fleming, Karen Brown, Jennifer Brown Riel (Isaias Riel) and great nephews and nieces; Nathaniel Fleming, Alexander Fleming, Elena Riel and Ava Riel.
His aunt and uncle, Richard and Frances Sprague Mitchell, Pat’s aunt, Esther Reinhold of Monterey, his wife’s best and longest friends Phyllis Hansen and Pauline Jurney of Evergreen Park, IL, and his cat, Onyx also survive him. Preceding Larry in death were his parents, his in-laws Albert F. and Anne E. Kimrey, and his brother Donald Eugene Brown. Larry was an organ donor to The Gift of Hope in Springfield.
Hopefully his legacy will continue on in research. Per his wishes, he will be cremated, and there will be no funeral or memorial services. Honor Larry however you wish.
Condolences may be offered at renner-wikoffchapel.com.
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