Remembering a local outdoors writer

Robert Brown had been a freelance writer for nearly 30 years, having written for the Eatonville Dispatch, Nisqually Valley News and the Olympian. He passed on April 5th, leaving behind his wife, Peggy, six children, nine grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren. He and his wife had been married for 59 years. 

“It doesn’t seem long.” she said.
 
Originally from Vancouver, British Colombia, he served for four years in the Royal Canadian Airforce. He served at duty stations in France and Germany where he was flight mechanic and crew chief. He later joined the U.S. Air Force after moving to the U.S. He served in Vietnam as a flight engineer.
 
“We travelled around to different bases and McChord [Airfield] was his last base before his retirement.” said Peggy Brown. They chose settle in Roy after purchasing a house to raise their six children. They lived together in the house for 49 years.
 
He retired in 1975 and became a bus driver and driver trainer for the Bethel School District, and it was then that he also began freelancing for the Olympian and Nisqually Valley news about sports, hunting and fishing.

“We would travel around to the different lakes and rivers and stuff and talked to the people that ran the sports shops and things in those areas.” said Brown. 

Robert had also intended a on writing a book about specialty game after many years of hunting, but it never got finished.

Peggy says her husband’s affinity for the outdoors and hunting came from his childhood.

“Being raised in Canada the way he was, and they lived up in the […] he called in the ‘Gold Mining Country,’ they were just survivors of the outdoors.” she said.

As an only child, he grew up hunting deer and moose in rural Canada. His father, originally from England, served in the Royal Navy.

Brown and his wife also participated in square dancing recreationally and belonged to a club in Tacoma, but neither had been participating due to Robert’s poor health. He likewise was a member of the American Legion in Yelm, but was not active in participation, also due to his health.

A graveside service will be held at the Roy Cemetery on June 8th, with refreshments at the Roy Congregation Church. The last article he wrote for the Senior Scene will be on display at the church.

“He was great husband, a good father, and we miss him very much.” Peggy said.