James Philip "Phil" Brown

James Philip “Phil” Brown passed away on February 3rd at the age of 83. Phil grew up on a farm in the small town of Walker, Iowa. Throughout his life, he frequently spoke of the fond memories he made there and loved sharing stories about his childhood. Phil attended Walker High School and then went on to graduate from Iowa State University with a degree in business. While in college, Phil joined Delta Sigma Phi fraternity where he made many good friends, served in the Army Reserves (6 years in total), and started working for Holiday Inn. His job with the hotel chain transferred him to several cities across the country before it brought him to Kansas City where he met his wife, Joan. They made Kansas City their home, and Phil opened his own Farmers Insurance agency, which he ran for 41 years.

Phil had a great sense of humor and a kind, gentle soul, serving as the peacekeeper in a house full of females (including the dog and cat!). He was a supportive and involved dad and grandpa who enjoyed attending all his family’s activities and events, while also coaching several of his daughters’ sports teams. In his spare time Phil loved to golf, grill, cook, grow tomatoes, and hone his skills as an amateur handyman. Over the years, Phil repaired many cars and lawnmowers, carried out multiple home renovation projects and built quite a few custom items, such as barbeque smokers (including his famous Ribidaire), large wooden toys, and furniture. Travel was something that Phil truly loved, and he took many special trips with Joan and their family, visiting numerous cities and countries. Going to Florida with his wife was one of Phil’s favorite pastimes – he always loved walks on the beach and showing off his bird and sunset pictures. Each year, he also looked forward to his trip to Wisconsin with buddies to admire vintage cars. Phil was an excellent barbeque chef, and he and his team “Too Hot to Handle” participated in BBQ competitions in and around Kansas City for more than 30 years. They didn’t always win awards, but they had fun – and the food was delicious. Phil was also a big sports fan, and win or lose, he was constantly rooting for his favorite Kansas City teams, the Royals and Chiefs, as well as his alma mater - Iowa State. 

After retirement, Phil stayed active traveling, golfing, and spending quality time with Joan, his family and friends. He and Joan frequently went out to dinner, the movies, and the theater; played games; enjoyed friends; and took dancing and exercise classes together. In addition, Phil was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church for over 40 years where he enjoyed cooking for brunches and Soup Fest, attending Sunday school, participating in the Men’s Club, and helping with the food pantry. 

Phil was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend. He is loved dearly and will be missed greatly.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Opal Brown and his brother and sister-in-law, Charlie and Ann Brown. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Joan; his sister, Sara Wessling (Roger); his children, Monica Shipley (Meagan), Christy Frauenhoffer (Matt), and Becky Higgins (Adam); his four grandchildren, Tei, Landon, Serenity, and Hadley; his three great-grandchildren, Sutton, Arthur, and Emilia; his sister-in-law, Judy Hussman; plus numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

There will be a Celebration of Life on Friday, February 14, 2025 at 2:30 pm in the Tree Top Room, on the 5th floor of the Southridge Building at Lakeview Village, 14001 W 92nd Street, Lenexa, KS 66215.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made in his name to the Lakeview Village Foundation (memo: Catlett Scholarship), Asbury UMC (memo: Food Pantry), or KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

To leave a special message for his family or to share a memory of Phil, please visit the guestbook below.