Obituary of Thomas Stephen Brown

Thomas Stephen Brown - July 21, 1953 – April 26, 2011 Some of you might know him as Tommy, Killer, Tom Terrific, Papaw or Brownie..… He was born Thomas Stephen Brown at St. Vincent’s hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana to Arthur and Virginia Brown. Tom is survived by his siblings: Patty Bertrand, Mary Kinlen, Theresa Teungel, and John A. Brown; his children: John Brown and Rebeccah Wagner; his grandchildren: Alixandrea, Brittany, Kayla, Cassie, Emma and Lia; and his devoted wife of 35 years, Sherri Lynn (Beyer) Brown. Tom served in the US Army from 1974 until 1977. He married his high school sweetheart, Sherri Beyer, in 1975 in Carmel Indiana. Shortly thereafter they moved from their hometown and were stationed at Ft Lewis military base in Tacoma, WA. After being honorably discharged, Tom earned his bachelor’s degree at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. By this time he was a father of two and was hired by Arthur Anderson and Associates right out of college. In time, he opted to work publicly as a VP of Finance/ Controller for several local companies in the Seattle area such as, Edelstein & Assoc, Continental Furniture and Darigold. Later Tom went into private CPA practice which eventually grew to encompass Business Valuations as well as, tax work He later sold his business and he and Sherri took some time to travel the US in a 5th wheel, making many friends along the way. Eventually they came back to the west coast choosing to live in a suburb of Portland, Tualatin, Oregon. He eventually took a position as Business Valuation expert for Financial Forensics in Lake Oswego where he worked until his illness caused him to step down. Tom was an intelligent, efficient, and honorable business man who took pride in all he did in life. Outside of his work life, If you knew Tom at all you knew that he had a love for all things outdoors including mountaineering, rock climbing, camping, fishing, hiking, and cross country skiing. What may surprise some of you is that he once had a hobby of breeding and training racing thoroughbred pigeons. He even won many trophies in the club he belonged to!. He had a great sense of humor and loved to entertain anyone who would listen with tales of “killer chipmunks” and knew the scientific names of countless plants, birds, and minerals. He grew up on a farm and had a love for the open range…always longing to return. Over the years Tom also spent time engaged in wood working, hunting, guitar playing, Harley riding, and gardening. He was a man of many interests and abilities. His life in business was something he enjoyed but often desired more out of life which led him to pursue a closer walk with His Savior, Jesus Christ. He began to make a shift in his free time to be more involved in the Lord’s work. After his salvation in the early 70’s, Tom sought to learn and understand his faith in depth, so this shift in his priorities was no surprise. He eventually served as a worship leader, small group facilitator, and teacher in several different churches including New Song Church in Bellevue, WA – River of Life in Ft Collins, CO – Bend Christian Fellowship in Bend, OR – and Rolling Hills Church in Tualatin, OR. His pursuit of his Savior was, and is, an inspiration to many. The faithfulness and love of his cherished wife, soul mate, and friend, Sherri, is a gift he takes into eternity with him. Though much of his life Tom was her strong but gentle protector, over these last few years, she was his. Even in his final days, he didn’t want her out of reach. Their love stands unparalleled. Tom’s life will be honored with a service of celebration at Rolling Hills Community Church in Tualatin on May 13th at 4pm. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rolling Hills Blessing Fund or CaringBridge.org website.