Larry Gene Brown passed away Saturday, December 9, 2023, surrounded by loved ones at the age of 83. He lived a beautiful life.  Larry was born June 30th 1940 in Coffeyville, Kansas to loving parents, Doyal & Edith Brown. He was raised in Coffeyville with his three siblings. Coffeyville was his home, he loved it, and took great pride in it. He attended Whitter grade school and graduated from Field Kindley High School (class of 1958) where he was a member of the Coffee Grinder’s car club.

 

 

 

He was a hard-working man, dedicated to his family. He was a Navy Veteran, working on the flight deck of the USS Bennington. His ship deployed to the China sea in preparation of combat operations prior the start of the Vietnam War. He was extremely proud of his service in the Navy. He returned from his stint in the military back to Coffeyville where he started working with Sherwin Williams. Because of his ambition and work ethic, he worked his way up Training Supervisor. Because of his integrity and ability to problem solve, he was selected as a Union shop representative. He was instrumental in assuring that fellow organizational employees could enjoy a safe, and equitable workplace environment. He worked at Sherwin Williams for almost 20 years.

 

 

 

Larry worked for the city of Coffeyville in different capacities over the five years. He even became a firefighter and has the distinction of being the oldest rookie firefighter in Coffeyville history. Larry’s work ethic was unmatched and because of his leadership ability, he was recruited to become a shift foreman at Aptus transformer processing facility. He received several awards and commendations for creating new ways of problem solving.

 

After new company ownerships at Aptus, Larry moved on to his final job, Produce Manager at Wal-Mart in Independence, Kansas. He worked at Wal-Mart for 17 years and was known for his knowledge and friendliness. Not just as with his fellow employees, but whit his customers as well.

 

 

 

He was an attentive, and hilarious person that had a dry sense of humor and loved a good debate. When you were around Larry, you were guaranteed to laugh because he had great one liners and comebacks. He loved vintage cars and the street drag cars. He was a savvy investor and loved to dabble in the stock market.  His perception of investment opportunities in various areas were astounding.

 

 

 

He was active in the VFW and was the Coffeyville chapter Commander at one time. He served in many roles with the VFW over the years and loved to help organize events that benefited the community and the children. He was also a Shriner and participated in several events over the years to help the community.

 

 

 

Larry is preceded in death by his loving parents, Doyal O. and Edith Y. Brown. He is survived by his two sons, Cary G Brown and Casey D Brown. Five grandchildren, Nicholas A Brown (Meera), Zachary R Brown (Sara), Whitney Iron, Cass D Brown, Carmen D Brown; two brothers, Jerry Brown, Gary Brown (Debbie); one sister, Kelly A Oneslager (Don).

 

The family will receive friends at Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel, 2405 Woodland Ave., in Coffeyville on Wednesday December 20, 2023, from 6-8pm. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, December 21, 2023, at 10am at Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel. The family suggest memorial contributions to be made payable to St. Judes and may be left in care of the chape. To leave a message of condolence, share a memory or view live streaming of services visit www.fordwulfbrunschapel.com