Robert (Bob) Brown passed away on December 9, 2022 at the age of 85.
Bob was born on October 16, 1937 to Robert Brown and Sally (Amundsen) Brown in Seattle, WA. The family moved to Double Bluff on Whidbey Island in 1945, where Bob and his brother Jack and sister Marilyn had the run of Double Bluff beach. They later moved to Freeland where the Freeland Motel is now located. At that time, they could play in the road with little to no traffic to worry about. Bob graduated from Langley High School in 1956 and married his high school sweetheart, Janet Skarberg, and had son, Ron, and later daughter, Joye. Bob worked for his father-in-law, Gust Skarberg, in the building trade before attending college at Central Washington University where he graduated in 1965 with a BA in education.
Bob was hired at Langley High School in 1965 as a high school history and social studies teacher, where he also coached high school football. While teaching, he obtained his master’s degree and became vice principal and later principal of Langley High School through 1976. He and Janet divorced, but remained good friends for the remainder of their lives. Bob moved to Alaska in 1977 and took a job as school superintendent in Dillingham, AK, and later in Whittier, AK where he witnessed first hand the destruction of the Valdez oil spill. Bob lived in Alaska until 1994 when he retired from the state of Alaska. He and his then-wife, Sue Zimbrick, moved back to Washington and built a house in Manchester, near Port Orchard, WA. Not one to sit on his laurels, Bob decided to take a superintendent position for the Lummi Indian Nation where he was superintendent for five years, before retiring for the second time. Bob then moved to Redmond, Oregon after his divorce from Sue. When South Whidbey School District called wanting him to take an interim job for the superintendent’s position, Bob accepted the job, and his life came full circle. He held the unique position of attending grade school and high school at Langley, only to return as a high school teacher, vice principal, principal and ultimately school superintendent for South Whidbey Schools. Bob retired for the third and final time in 2005.
Bob lived on Whidbey Island until his death on Dec. 9th. Bob was an accomplished and avid golfer, numerous times being the only one on the golf course in Alaska in a snow storm. He coached high school football and basketball while at Langley, and helped coach football in Ellensburg for the high school while attending college at Central. He is remembered fondly by many when he coached Little League baseball for the Clinton team in the 1960s and early 70’s.
Bob is survived by his son, Ron Brown (wife, Lori), his daughter, Joye Brown Veit (husband,PeeWee), of Clinton, WA, his brother, Jack Brown (wife, Margaret) of Issaquah, WA, his sister, Marilyn Williams (husband, Karl) of Cornville, Arizona, granddaughters, Shannon Brown and Mary Brown, and four great granddaughters, Lainey, Piper, Walynn and Lenna of Clinton, WA, his nephew, Joel Christoe (wife, Jona) of Federal Way, WA, nephew Bret Christoe (wife, Cindy) of Parker, Colorado, nephew Paul Christoe (wife, Alta) of Lakewood, WA, niece Diana Cormier, of Belfair WA, niece Jennie Brown Gilbert (husband, Matt) of South Prairie, WA, nephew Patrick Sjodin (wife, Susan) of Naselle, WA, along with numerous great nieces and nephews. And, last but not least, Bob is survived by his companion and loyal best friend, his golden retriever, Ranger. Bob was preceded in death by his brother, Jerry Brown, in 2012, and niece Suzanne Souza (Brown), of Manteca, CA, in 2018.
There will be a Celebration of Life at the Rod & Gun Club on April 29, 2023 @ 2:00 pm.
