Steve L. Brown

Steve L. Brown, 72, of Searcy, died January 17, 2019 in Searcy. He was born on October 18, 1946 in Jacksonville, Illinois, to Frederick Donald and Claribel Joy Reynolds Brown. After graduation from high school in 1964, he enlisted in the USAF and served as a radio operator in Southeast Asia. After discharge, he attended MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill., where he met his future wife Peggy Cikas. They both graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1973. He became a middle school teacher, and she a laboratory technologist, until the couple moved to Chicago in 1981 for Peggy to attend The Chicago Medical School and internship until 1986. He then worked in management for Wendy's Corporate, helping to open 55 stores in the Chicago area. From there they moved to Nashville, Tennessee where Peggy completed her residency in Neurology, and he again managed for Wendy's. After a brief stint in Illinois, they settled in Arkansas, first in Paragould in 1991, then at Searcy in 1995, where he served as Dr. Brown's office manager until she retired. He was a member of the Searcy Lions Club, serving as "tail twister", because of his tendency to tell jokes and pull pranks. His friends called him "A child in a man's body, which made him more fun and interesting". His hobbies included painting fantasy and wargame figures for many years, and then recently he developed an obsession with quilting. He was a member of the White County Quilt Guild. He loved karate, having achieved the black belt at age 69. He was fluent in Russian, and led several mission trips to Ekaterinburg, and loved visiting Moscow to meet with a Rotary exchange student who stayed at the home previously. He is survived by his wife, Peggy Brown, MD, a brother, Dr. Kerry Brown and wife Rose, nephew Patrick Petey Brown, and a sister Rev. Karla Smith and husband Harold, Close friend Joe Krystofik, and beloved dogs Reba and Shorty. He was preceded in death by his parents. Visitation will be Tuesday, January 22 from 7-8 p.m. followed by a Funeral Service at 8:00 p.m., both at the Powell Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be at Roselawn Memorial Park in Springfield, Illinois. Arrangements by Powell Funeral Home of Searcy and Butler Funeral Home of Springfield, Illinois.