Joseph Eugene Brown

On August 1, 2023, Joseph Eugene Brown finished his race on earth, entered Heaven’s gates and heard “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” from his Lord and Savior.

Joe was born to Joseph F. and Juanita D. Brown on August 15, 1934, in Denver, Colorado. He was raised in the Castle Rock and Sedalia area until he dropped out of school in the 10th grade and joined the US Navy at 16 years old. After four years of service and a tour in the Korean War on the U.S.S Bon Homme Richard and the U.S.S. Los Angeles, he joined the U.S. Army where he spent the next 18 years traveling the world as a drill instructor, teaching young recruits hand-to-hand combat and wartime maneuvers. During his military tenure, he spent two tours in Vietnam and was a proud soldier of a variety of distinguished divisions: the Third Army, the Fifth Army, the 3rd Armored Spearhead, the 1st Infantry, Big Red One, the 1st Cavalry, the 1st Air Cavalry, and the 101st Airborne, Screaming Eagles. He was the recipient of several awards, including the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross, the Vietnamese Service Medal, the Vietnam Air Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Purple Heart.

In 1960, he married the love of his life and together, they traveled the world, leaning on his wife to support his military life and to raise a family of four children.

After retiring from the military, he got his GED and Associates Degree in Drafting and had the honor of helping design the launch pads for Apollo 11, 13, and 14. To fill the requirements of his degree, he took an extracurricular class in Lost Wax Casting. This was the opening to the rest of his lifelong career of making western wear jewelry for some of the biggest western apparel organizations in the West. He was known all over Colorado and several surrounding states by his cowboy boots, his big 10-gallon cowboy hat, and his handlebar mustache.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Betty Brown, and their four children: Bridget (Brown) and Michael Carbiener of Denver, Colorado, Belinda (Brown) and Curtis Pederson of Mountain Home, Idaho, Brian O’Brien of Littleton, Colorado, and Brandi (Brown) and Ben Kuiper of Colorado Springs. He leaves behind seven grandchildren: Risa Cunningham, Bree Pederson (Jason Tuttle), Emily Brown, Elizabeth (Jacob) Scull, Adriana Kuiper, Johanna Kuiper, and Matthew Kuiper. He leaves behind six great-grandchildren: Alex Cunningham, Maddi Cunningham, Serenity Cunningham, Zayl Tuttle, Azreal Tuttle, and Darla Maie Scull. He is survived by his brother Gerry Brown of Las Vegas, Nevada, his sister, Linda Seaton of San Francisco, California and multiple nieces and nephews.

Services will be held Friday, August 18, 2023 at Centennial Covenant Church, 401 W. Mineral Ave. Littleton, CO 80120. Graveside services with full military honors will be at Ft. Logan National Cemetery following the service. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Wounded Warriors.