Gary David Brown

Gary Brown, 62, of La Grande, died of complications of Alzheimer's Disease April 22, 2015 at Willowbrook Terrace in Pendleton. The Recitation of the Rosary will be held on Monday, April 27, 2015 at 10:15 am at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church. The memorial service will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the church. Gary was born June 11, 1952 to Robert and Ellen (Fraser) Brown in Pendleton. They lived in Stanfield and Hermiston, graduating from Hermiston High in 1970 with an aptitude for the sciences. He attended Eastern Oregon State College, now EOU, graduating in 1975 with a chemistry degree and again in 1982 with a business degree. His work experience included Martin Marietta aluminum in The Dalles, Borden Chemical/Hexion in La Grande as their analytical chemist, quality assurance specialist and management trainer for 30 years, traveling extensively in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. His last employer was Napa Auto for 6 years. He spent one year during his first round of college with friends in Falls Church, VA working at a gas station/U-Haul rental and playing bass guitar in a band, St. Barnabas Road. Gary met his future wife, Peg Palumbo, at a dance at EOU in 1977. They married in 1979 in La Grande and made their home there. They have sons Matthew and Eric. Gary had a lifetime love of cars, restoring many from the ground up from literally boxes of pieces and bolts. His prized possessions are a '67 Corvette and a '66 Chevelle. His mechanical aptitude and car sense rubbed off on Matt. His computer savvy is instilled with Eric. He enjoyed helping with Boy Scouts, spending several winters assisting in building and sleeping in snow caves, hiking Hoffer Basin, and joining trips to Leslie Gulch with Troop 514. He assisted both sons in earning their Eagle Scout award. He was also a WWII historian. Gary had a love for narrow-gauge steam trains, earning the right to be a fireman on the Sumpter Valley Railroad one summer. Many family trips to the Southwest were made to see the old silver and gold mining sites and ride the steam train excursions. His other love was anything Australian or New Zealand. He had often talked of the potential of moving there, but settled on several trips to both countries with Peg. They also traveled together to Hawaii, Holland and 2 summers ago a cruise and land tour to Alaska. He enjoyed his morning coffee routine with his friends right up to the time he became acutely ill. Gary was a private, soft-spoken and kind- hearted man. He had a quiet intensity for family, work, and fun. Gary is survived by his wife, Peg of La Grande, son, Matt and fiancé Leslie Phillips of Portland, son, Eric and Mandy Hillecke of La Grande, and parents of Hermiston, sister, Vickie Hartley of Hermiston, brother, Daryl and wife Sue of Richland , WA, Aunts, Jean Pinney of Hermiston and Maxine Leonard of Thousand Oaks, California; 8 nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to the Alzheimer's Association, alz.org.

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