Dr. Donald E.'s Obituary
Donald E. Brown passed away peacefully on Nov. 4th after a brief battle with cancer. He was 83 years old. Don was born on Oct. 8, 1922 at the family home in Tacoma, the 4th child of Alpharetta and Harry Brown, founder of Brown & Haley Candy Company. He graduated from Stadium High School in 1940 with many scholastic and athletic honors. He went on to graduate from College of Puget Sound (now University of Puget Sound) in 1943 and the University of Oregon School of Medicine in 1946.While completing his internship at Santa Clara County Hospital in San Jose, CA, he met and married his wife of 58 years, Alice Olsen. They began their life together in the Army stationed in Anchorage, Alaska where he was a flight surgeon with the famed 10th Rescue Squadron. Don flew many civilian and military rescue missions into isolated areas of Alaska. He fulfilled a lifelong dream in 1993 of returning to Alaska and crossing the artic circle to Kotzebue on a family trip with his children and grandchildren.Don began practicing medicine in Oakland, CA as a General Practitioner in 1949 after discharge from the Army. He spent 4 years in CA and 4 years in Whitefish, MT before returning to the Northwest. Don was a partner in the Doctors Clinic of Lynnwood and was part of a small group of Doctors who started Stevens Memorial Hospital in Edmonds. He loved the practice of medicine and was a dedicated, caring and compassionate doctor for 40 years. He continued to be a resource and source of support on medical issues for his family and large group of friends after retirement.Don & Alice raised three children: Steven, Thomas and Rebecca, on Lake Serene and have 5 grandchildren. He had an active role in all their lives and shared his lifelong love of fishing, golfing and sports with them all.After retirement in 1987, he and Alice began splitting time between Everett, Lopez Island with daughter Becky and her family, and Hawaii. In recent years they spent 6 months in Kona, Hawaii where Don loved his active life playing golf almost daily with F Troop and enjoying their large group of friends. They returned to his hometown of Tacoma a year ago with a move to American Lake.Don will be remembered as a generous, loving & caring father, grandfather, friend and physician. He will be greatly missed by his family and large circle of friends.Don was preceded in death b his parents, Harry and Alpharetta Brown, and his oldest brother Harry, and his eldest son Steven.He is survived by his wife, Alice of Tacoma and Kona; his son Tom, wife Beth and grandsons Kevin (wife Jani), Tyler & Andy Brown all of Tacoma, WA; daughter Becky and husband Bob Smith of Lopez Island, granddaughter Cara of Spokane, and grandson Mikah of Tacoma; brothers Alvin Brown of Seattle and Dick Brown of Wenatchee, sister Mildred Boyd of Seattle; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.Memorials can be sent to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, PO Box 19023, Seattle, WA 98109-1023.
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