Terry Hensley Brown

Terry Hensley Brown, 71, of Olathe, Kansas, passed away on Monday, May 31, 2021. He was born on July 31, 1949 in Kansas City, MO to Paul and E. Maxine (Alexander) Brown.

He grew up in Independence, Missouri. He started school at East Rock Creek Elementary School. He then attended Nowlin Junior High and graduated high school in May 1967 from Van Horn High School. While there, he was a member of the Falcons Swim Team and the wrestling team and lettered in both. He played the trumpet in the high school band. He and some of his classmates had a band, in which Terry was the guitar player and they performed at "Vantasia", which was the annual variety show at Van Horn. He also displayed a talent in woodworking and art, creating several items for family members. Terry then attended Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. Terry was a member of the Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Independence, and there he joined Boy Scout Troop 226 and became an Eagle Scout. He enjoyed going to Osceola for camp each year... After college, he went to work for the Santa Fe Railroad as a diesel mechanic on the train engines.

Being an avid outdoorsman, Terry enjoyed both hunting and fishing. He and his dad made numerous trips to Roaring River for trout fishing. He and his family enjoyed many fishing trips including "fly-in" trips for walleye fishing in Canada, and deep-sea salmon fishing off the northwest coast of Washington. Another trip he also enjoyed was a three-day horseback backpacking trip with his dad in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado just outside of Glenwood Springs. He also loved going deer hunting at the family farm. He enjoyed hunting both wild turkey and pheasant. Terry also loved "muscle cars" and at one time owned a 1963 cherry red Corvette, and later a Plymouth Road Runner.

Terry married the love of his life, Nancy Pennock Brown on May 8, 1971 in Kansas City, KS. They met at her sister's wedding and married 8 months later. They honeymooned in Corpus Christi, Texas. They had a son, Dan, in July 1974 and their daughter, Mandy, arrived in January 1978. A year after Mandy was born, they moved into a home they had built in Olathe, Kansas where they still live today. The family loved to travel around the country going to Canada, South Dakota, Virginia, Florida several times and California in 1991 to watch their son march in the Rose Bowl Parade. They spent a lot of summers in Colorado for soccer tournaments.

Terry's greatest love was his family. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was his family's biggest fan. From the time Dan and Mandy started with sports and extracurricular activities, he was right there. If he wasn't a coach, he was in the stands, being the proudest father, anyone could ever be. He was so extremely proud of both of them, in all that they did, and the extraordinary people they became. Then came the wonderful joy of becoming a grandfather, such a proud Papa. He dearly loved his grandchildren, again, he was right there cheering them on in all that they did, and all that they accomplished. Everything came to a halt when there was an activity to attend, or a birthday party to host…and he loved every minute.

Terry retired from BNSF Railway as the Director of Safety in June 2009 after 40 years with the railroad in numerous positions. When he retired from BNSF, he left his legacy when the company named a meeting room "The Brown Room" after him for all his dedicated years.

Terry and Nancy enjoyed everything KU Jayhawks, the Kansas City Royals, the Kansas City Chiefs, Sporting KC, and also Starlight Theatre. In recent years they traveled to Branson several times, Illinois, Michigan, Florida for a family vacation and a family vacation to Cancun, Mexico to watch their son get married. The most recent trip was in 2019 to Seattle, Washington and Friday Harbor, Washington.

To say Terry loved movies and music is an understatement. Movies and music were favorite topics and pastimes enjoyed by Terry and several of his family members. Over the years he and his wife Nancy attended many concerts around the KC area. Some of his other hobbies involved photography and nature. You would be hard pressed to find a bird, tree, flower, insect or animal that he didn't know and could name for you on the spot. His yard has several different bird houses and bird feeders for many different birds so he could watch them. He was also an artist and created many works of art from his teenage years to recent years.

Words cannot express the love he felt for his family. He is in heaven now, but he is watching over all of his family, and his spirit is right there in the stands cheering on his grandchildren.

Terry is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Nancy Brown; children Dan Brown (Lacy) and daughter Mandy Montgomery and grandchildren Peyton, Chance, Colby and Declan. Sister Sherry Palmer (Doug) and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his mother Maxine and father Paul and his Uncle Neil and Aunt Gladys and his Uncle "Red" John Muir and Aunt Mary Muir and his grandparents on both sides.

The family will receive guests for a visitation at 1:00pm on Friday, June 11, 2021, at Penwell Gabel's Olathe Chapel with a memorial service following at 2:00pm.

The family requests that contributions in Terry's memory be made to JDRF who he coordinated yearly walks to raise money for during his years at BNSF.






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