Donald R. Brown, age 79, of Tomahawk, WI, passed away at his home peacefully surrounded by his family and under the care of Ascension Ministry Hospice. Don was born February 6, 1940, in Tomahawk, to the late Robert and Minnie (Schmidt) Brown.
Don was a lifelong resident of the Tomahawk area. He went to work in the woods at the age of 17 with a team of horses and later owned and operated Donald Brown Logging. For some time, his son, Doug, worked with him as Donald Brown & Son Logging. Don retired in 2008. He served on the Little Rice Fire Department from 1975 to 1992, where he was instrumental in clearing the land and constructing the Little Rice Fire Station with his good friend, Buddy Koffke. Don enjoyed shooting pool, playing baseball, snowshoe baseball, snowmobiling, water skiing, and hunting, especially duck and deer.
Survivors include his wife, Lois Brown, of Tomahawk; his son, Douglas (Robin) Brown, of Tomahawk; three daughters, Donda (Thomas) Pegenau, of Iron Mountain, MI, Doreen (Keith) Brown, of Rhinelander, WI, and Darlene Grant, also of Rhinelander; three stepsons, Nicholas (June) Vangalis, of Wausau, WI, John (Kristine) Vangalis, of Oak Creek, WI, and Matthew (Kellie) Vangalis, of Lauder Hills, FL; one stepdaughter, Victoria Vangalis-Zepp, of Tallahassee, FL; one sister, Barbara Schmidt, of Arlington Heights, IL.
Don is further survived by 22 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren; four special friends, Buddy Koffke, Tom Dittmer, David Lundberg, and Robert Grulke.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Minnie; the mother of his children, Donna (Wales) Running; one brother, Robert, Jr.; and one sister, Jean Stavros.
Funeral Services for Donald Brown will be held on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at 11 a.m. from Generations Funeral Home, Tomahawk. The family will receive friends for Visitation on Wednesday, Aug.28, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visitation continues on Thursday from 10 a.m. until the time of Services at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Prairie Rapids Cemetery in the Town of Nokomis. In honor of Don, the family asks everyone to wear flannel shirts and blue jeans.