Thomas Gene Brown was born May 24, 1930, in Hooker, Oklahoma, the son of William Ellis and Mary Elizabeth (Cox) Brown. After attending various schools, including Rocky Bluff grade school and Cactus High School, he graduated from Adams, Oklahoma with 2 of his brothers, Joe & Charlie.
On July 30, 1949, he married the love of his life, Irene Nagel, at the Methodist Church parsonage in Clayton, NM. They made their first home in Adams, Oklahoma. In 1957 they moved to Liberal, Kansas and in 1962 to Hooker, Oklahoma.
Gene was an extremely talented carpenter through the age of 90, when he finally hung up his hammer after being caught on scaffolding that he built from scratch after his son took his other one away.
He also farmed and raised cattle most of his life. He enjoyed running the road grader for Texas County until his retirement in 1995, when they moved to Laverne.
He began working for the Bernard Nine family shortly after moving to Laverne and retired after 20 years. He enjoyed working with them and was treated like family.
Gene was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Laverne, Oklahoma. His joy was being near his grandkids and watching their many sporting activities.
He loved telling stories of his life growing up in a large family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Irene. 11 siblings and one granddaughter, Brenda.
Surviving family members include one brother, Charlie of Canyon, Tx; two sons, Alan Brown and his wife, Debbie of Hooker, Kelly Brown and his wife, Judy of Kernersville, North Carolina; two daughters, Gaye Lynn Balzer and husband, Larry of Hooker, Cheryl Campbell and her husband, Mark of Laverne, Oklahoma; eight grandchildren, Kerri Parker, Shanon Butler and Erica, Justin Brown and Maraina, Eric Brown and Emily, Casey Floyd and Paul, Ashley DeVaughn, Jessica Hendrix, Mary Jackson and Christopher; nineteen great grandchildren, Jaxson, Jordyn, Matt, Madi, Blake, Sammi, Jacob, Macy, Connor, Rhyan, Brady, Mya, Rhett, Isaac, Alex, Zoe, Bella, Dexter, Fisher, and one on the way.
**If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is LORD,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.~Romans 10:9-10**
Visitation is Friday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 at Roberts Brothers Funeral Home in Hooker. Graveside services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 28, 2023, at the Hooker Cemetery. Celebration of Life will be Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at the Laverne First Assembly of God church with Rev. Bill Kelly of the Laverne First Assembly of God Church officiating.

Robert’s Brothers Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.