Mike Brown

1945 - 2021

Mike Brown
June 25, 1945 - May 31, 2021
Bonny Doon
On May 31, 2021, Mike Brown of Bonny Doon, loving and salty husband, father, and grandfather, passed away from Parkinson's. He was not quite 76 years old. Mike was born in 1945 in Sidney, Nebraska, to Director of Nursing Carmela Scibona Brown and railroad man and town librarian R. W. Brown, from whom Mike inherited much of his salt. After one year studying engineering at Wyoming University, Mike escaped with a few buddies to the Bay Area, where he began a career in auto mechanics, working at several dealerships. In 1975, he bought his own shop in Ben Lomond where he raised son Anthony and daughter Alisa. He later relocated his shop to Scotts Valley. In 1982, he met his future second wife Shari Prange when her VW Bug was towed into his shop.
In 1979, Mike founded Electro Automotive, a business to supply factory parts for hobbyists to convert internal combustion vehicles to electric power. Over the course of more than thirty years, the business became the preeminent supplier of parts, videos, lectures, and hands-on training on electric car conversions. With Shari, he wrote and published Convert It, a how-to manual. He collaborated on development of an electric spec race car, the E Sports Racer, for SCCA events, and he served on the President's Federal Fleet Conversion Task Force.
Mike was known for his booming voice and acerbic wit. His great loves in life were his family, cars, books, cars, airplanes, cooking, eating, and cars. He is survived by wife Shari Prange; son Anthony Brown and grandson Desmond and granddaughter Evelina; daughter Alisa Brown Coates and grandson Riley; brother Patrick Brown; sister Sheila Brown Lees; and brother Greg.
A memorial is planned for June 26. Contact the family for details at 831-429-1989.


View the online memorial for Mike Brown