We grew old together, Mike Brown and I. Of course, I was 15 years his senior when I hired him in 1974, so I grew really old. I’ve seen his full head of dark, curly hair gradually add salt and finally turn white. My eternal flattop just sheds a lot, taking root in my ears. So it goes.
We worked together almost all of his 46-year career. Saw a lot of crazy issues come and go, always trying to advocate for this community, its business and commerce, its organizations, its schools, its churches. We’ve shared some really good times and some very tough ones.
In 1974 I hung a sign in Mike’s office as he, a born writer, was developing journalistic skills. The sign read:
“The three most important things in journalism are Accuracy, Accuracy, Accuracy.”—Joseph Pulitzer
Little did I know then how Mike would honor that. He became the ultimate professional journalist.
County Judge Steve Young’s recent tribute to Mike on this page said it well: “Fair, accurate, unbiased reporting.”
Oh, Mike has strong opinions. But he only shared them on this Commentary page where they belong. On the rest of the pages, he covered it all:
• The hard stuff—murders, fires, wrecks, the inevitable tragedies that rock a community.
• Wonderful features like interviewing World War II veterans on the 50th anniversary of epic battles they survived from Normandy to Iwo Jima to Africa to the Pacific Theater, and finally the Japanese surrender.
• Government—City council, school board, hospital board, county commissioners. Mike, ever the student and researcher, actually understood the complexities of school finance, and the even more insane business of hospital finance.
And here, allow me to get a bit emotional.
Mike has gone through some tough times. I’ve seen him somehow show up for work on Mondays following heart procedures and bouts with kidney stones.
But I’ve also seen a proud and diligent single-parent father raise a son and see that son achieve success, and also turn Mike into a doting grandpa (right).
Meanwhile came Mike’s marriage to Sue and an unforgettably fun reception at the monthly Milam Opry. This event not only provided him a beautiful life mate but two stepdaughters he adores.
Peg and I have been blessed beyond all measure through almost 63 years of marriage, but there have been some dark times, including the devastating loss of two of our four children. That’s not the natural order of things. We know we’ll eventually say goodbye to parents, grandparents, favorite aunts and uncles, but not our children. Others who have felt such losses know you get
Others who have felt such losses know you get through only by the grace of God, the support of friends and church family and, in our case, by the loyalty of an editor, and others in this Reporter family, who would make sure the presses rolled.
Here’s to a happy, eventful retirement, fellow warrior. God speed.
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