Leigh Fredrick BROWN

1949 - 2025

July 12, 1949 – September 3, 2025

Leigh Fredrick Brown, born July 12, 1949, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, passed away in Pennsylvania on September 3, 2025, at the age of 76. The eldest child of Peck and Betty Brown, he grew up in Viroqua, Wisconsin, and later Chisholm, Minnesota. From a young age, his intelligence, adventurous spirit, love of the outdoors, and tall presence - paired with dry humor - left a lasting impression.

Leigh was a man of carefully chosen words, a logical thinker, and patient problem-solver. He approached life with curiosity, loyalty, and quiet generosity. He built deep relationships with family and friends and found joy in dogs, and in feeding birds and squirrels from his porch. His passing leaves a vacancy in many hearts.

His sister, Barbara Filippi, remembered him as a spirited brother whose playful schemes and marathon Monopoly games filled their childhood with energy and laughter. Neighborhood troubles were often blamed on him - sometimes even snowstorms. She recalled, "We kept playing Monopoly even when he owned everything and tallied what I owed him. I NEVER came close to winning."

His sister, Gretchen Wright, reflected, "My brother leaves a Leigh-sized hole in my life. He was a tall man, so that hole is large enough to hold vivid memories: when I was six and he snuck into my room to give me the Steiff lion our grandmother bought in Germany; evenings when he let me sit on a stool in his shop while he made bullets; taking me to check trap lines; counseling me to be gentle with the boy who wanted my dog; offering me books from his college syllabus. Through it all, he gave me unconditional love and shaped my life forever."

To his nieces, Leigh was smart, funny, kind, and larger than life. Rachel Skoy recalled, "When I was small, I thought Uncle Leigh was the tallest man on the planet. He stood quiet at the edges of a room, but his humor would drift in - dry, unexpected, perfectly timed." Evie Skoy added, "You never knew when Uncle Leigh might roll into town. I'll think of you with every great cribbage hand - or any time I wish I could use my 'ask Uncle Leigh pass.'"

In the late 1960s, Leigh moved west to Cheney, Washington, where friendship and the outdoors shaped him. His friend, Kim Cooper, remembered him as a philosopher with a Mark Twain–style wit: "We spent many cold nights winter camping and hunting, warmed by laughter (and dulled by his raucous snoring). I miss my good friend Leigh."

Leigh also had a lifelong passion for computers and technology, which became a career in information technology. From building homemade computers to teaching himself programming, he was always tinkering. Once, when asked about his role, he called himself the "head technology wonk."

In the early 1980s, Leigh married Nancy Yvonne Cole and became a steady, kind stepfather to Jennifer Hook and Zachary Cole, and "Poppy" to grandchildren Jake Webb, Ella Cole, and Nina Wyllys. He changed their lives for the better, sharing love, nature, cribbage, and DIY know-how. Zack recalled with a laugh: "He once gave me a tin of gunpowder to experiment with - I came back with singed eyelashes, and Mom was not happy."

Later, Leigh enjoyed simple pleasures: cross-country drives with no plan, meals with his good friends at The Shady Maple, and walking neighborhood dogs with treats in his pocket.

His lifelong friend, Jim Charon, who met him on their first day of kindergarten, said, "He was my steadfast friend for 71 years. I'll miss him dearly."

Leigh's legacy lives on in the laughter he sparked, the lessons he taught, and the friendships he nurtured. He will be deeply missed by his sisters, stepchildren, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many friends.

Celebration of Life:

Chisholm, MN – Saturday, October 25 at Jim's Sports Bar, 11:00 – 1:00

Spokane, WA – Spring 2026, details to follow

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