Obituary of Paul E Brown

Paul Brown died at home with family April 8, 2023. Paul was born to Kenneth and Dora Brown in Shelton, Washington December 11, 1944. He grew up with 5 brothers and 1 sister. His parents and his brothers preceded him in death. As one of seven children, life wasn’t easy and money was tight but he found lots of ways to keep busy, including fishing and camping. He discovered sports in high school and became a really good wrestler and a bit of a star in track. He was constantly in the local paper for his achievements. It was at this time that he started believing there was no such thing as “good enough” and if you were going to do something, you gave it your best - he followed this until the very end. He was an avid hunter and hiker when he was young. His greatest love outside of family was the mountains. He grew up fishing in the lakes and tromping around mountain trails. He loved the hunt, so much so that he’d frequently wait until the very end of the season to get his deer because he didn’t want to end his season too soon. As soon as he was able to work, he had a job. He delivered newspapers, picked berries and eventually went to work at the local tire shop. Shortly after graduating from Shelton High School, he joined the National Guard. That’s when his sense of humor really kicked in. It was not always well received in that environment and occasionally got him into a bit of trouble. When he left the Guard he returned to the tire shop until he was influenced to work for a home builder in Olympia. His desire for perfection made this a great fit. He loved construction and over the years he perfected his skills and became a master carpenter, working on many local businesses and residences over the years. He designed and built several homes, including his wife’s dream house, a three story Victorian. He loved building things and continued building until shortly before he passed. He met the love of his life, Dixie LaFond after becoming a carpenter. They married and moved to Olympia to raise their children. They developed a love of antiques and started doing antique shows over 40 years ago. They loved the thrill of hunting for new additions to their collections and they filled their home with antique treasures. He loved scoring a good deal and for the last several years he spent hours every week scouring through box lots at his favorite auction. He hated to lose and would sometimes get carried away in his pursuit of winning. Dixie passed in 2017, Paul is survived by his daughter Tammy Kelley, son-in-law Steve Kelley, son Shane Brown, grandchildren Andy Frerichs, Jessica Kelley and Madison Brown, as well as 4 great grandchildren and his cherished “little pal”, Marley. Paul always put others first. He was honest, hardworking and reliable. He didn’t know how to be selfish. He always made sure his family was taken care of. He was so very generous, he would give to others whenever he could and sometimes even when he couldn’t. He was a jokester, you always had to be on your toes with him because you never knew what he was up to. There was never a problem he couldn’t solve, he was famous for saying “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine” and it usually was. Paul worked hard his entire life. He was incredibly smart. He loved his friends and family and was always willing to jump in to help when he could. He showed his love through actions, not words. He spoiled those he loved. He gave his all to everyone and everything. He left his mark in the world and in the hearts of those who knew him. A celebration of Paul’s life will be held July 22nd at 3 pm, 5410 66th Ave NW - Olympia. Food and beverages will be provided.