Lonis (Loni) Brown, Jr. 75

On Aug. 20, 2023, Lonis (Loni) Brown, Jr. went home to be with our Savior Jesus, after battling cancer and the after effects for almost 18 years.

Loni was born Feb. 12, 1948, to Mary Nagy Brown and Lonis Hammons Brown in Murry, Ky., and lived in a small house with his folks and younger brother before his home and land was condemned to become the Land Between the Lakes. His family moved to Paducah, Ky., Manitou Springs, Colo., and finally Security, Colo., where in high school he enjoyed playing tennis (was the most valuable player on the team) and hockey, and graduated with honors.

He attended Colorado State University and met the love of his life, Jeaneen (Jeanne) Fairman, at a freshman mixer in 1966. They've been together ever since, celebrating their 55th anniversary last March. Loni graduated in 1972 with a BS in Forest Biometry.

He worked seasonally for the Forest Service in Fort Collins and Gunnison, Colo., from 1970 to 1978. He reaffirmed his faith in 1974. While leading a field crew in the summer of 1978, a co-worker gave him a catalog of Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont. He excitedly moved his family to Bozeman at Christmastime, 1978 and graduated in 1981 with a BS in Civil Engineering.

While working for the Helena National Forest he studied for and received his Montana Civil Engineer license in 1984. He enjoyed working for the Helena and Kootenai National Forest, becoming a supervisory civil engineer before retiring in 2005.

Loni loved hunting (big game and bird), camping, playing tennis with his daughters and hockey with his son in British Columbia where he also helped coach the team.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Lonis Hammons Brown and Mary Elizabeth Nagy, and his sister, Shirley Evonne. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne; his daughter and family, Cheryl and Kirk Coles of Spokane, Wash., granddaughter Hannah and Travis Condron and granddaughter Sarah Coles; his daughter and family, Lori and Michael Zahler of Bozeman, and granddaughter Elizabeth; his son and family, Richard and KayLa Brown of Helena, granddaughters Jocelyn and Brooklyn and grandson Levi Brown; his brother Alan Brown of Fort Collins, Colo., and his sister Cheryl Brown of Tucson, Ariz.; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Loni was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in St. Ignatius, where the service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. The family requests donations be made to Zion Lutheran Church.