Evan Noel Brown

Evan Noel Brown was born October 12, 1982, in Billings, Montana. Montana was rooted in him, it was the chosen home of his Romanian-emigrant great grandparents, and that wildness and majesty was an indelible part of his soul.

He was born to a family who immediately couldn't live without him. His mother, Vickie Ellison Brown, and father, Ellery Noel Brown, were tickled to have a little boy learn the ways of the wilderness. His oldest sister, Vallery Marie Brown, was only one at the time and never quit at being his big sister. His youngest sister, Kaylee Jane Brown, only remembers coming into this world with him in it, and from there, they were in for loads of trouble. The three siblings have memories of being the children of parents who loved to explore the mountains and rivers of Montana and Belize, be it on horseback, by boat, or afoot in the places of serenity they all enjoyed.

From the beginning of his life, Evan fixated on the outdoors surrounding him. He knew how to bugle an elk, call for hoot owls, and could track even the wiley chupacabra or notorious Big Foot. Staring out the windows in the family's Bozeman, Montana, home, Evan would exclaim – "It's a good day for fishing, right, Daddy?" - even in a snowy, sleet-filled gale.

For the remainder of his 39 years, he was always looking for the best spot to fly fish - be it a quiet eddy on the mighty Yellowstone, a thick-with-mosquitos and stoneflies hole along the Madison, or a brackish green lagoon with mangroves, Evan could find fish. It brought him peace, joy, and so much excitement to think about landing a triple threat in Belize, especially if he was with his dad.

After his family moved to Oklahoma, Evan found joy and solidarity in basketball. From his days on the varsity team at Edmond North High School, where he graduated in 2001, to his championship-winning basketball team at Hillsdale Baptist College, Evan could sink threes with ease, made free throws effortlessly, and was never afraid to go to the boards. Even after a knee surgery made it harder for him to do layups, he would still play with his friends and was unafraid to call out bad shooting form.

Evan's greatest heroes were in this order: Jesus; his father, Ellery; Larry Bird; and OU Football. He loved his family fiercely, including his many cousins, aunts, and uncles in Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

He is survived by his beloved partner, Jenn Hernandez, and unborn son, Ennis; grandmothers, Mary Jane Kouns of Arcadia, Oklahoma, and MeLissa Kay Brown of Edmond, Oklahoma; grandparents, Ivonne and Floyd Ellison Jr of Oklahoma City; sisters, Vallery and Kaylee Brown and Misty Kokojan; as well as his parents, Vickie and Ellery Brown of Arcadia, Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Roy Noel Brown of Edmond, Oklahoma; great-grandparents, Ellery Philip and Eula Mona Blair Johnson of Mill Creek, Oklahoma; great-grandparents: Marie (Maria) Neagu and Nicolou (Nick) Badilla of Silesia, Montana and Willa Jackson and Floyd Ellison Sr. of Basin, Wyoming; and uncle, Keith Ellison of Laurel, Montana.

Evan never met a stranger and had friends not only all over the U.S. but across the globe. His quick wit and humor were contagious and famous. He notably made the news in 2014 after discovering a chupacabra (he knew all along that it was a coyote with mange, but the joke went alight). Evan never missed the opportunity for a laugh, and his family is comforted by the jokes that will end but will never be forgotten.

No one who loved Evan could forget about his "scrampies." He loved cooking food and sharing meals with family and friends. Flavors were his painting palette. And when his love of fishing and hunting collided with his love for cooking, everyone nearby was in for the treat of their lives.

All who knew Evan also picked up on his language. That humor colored so many aspects of his personality. But his language has slipped into all of his loved ones' vernacular. Scrampies. Hey Lady. Pish. Beedo. Paraschneek. Ducats. Bruiser. Birdlett. Woo. Unit or Stick Unit. Schnoozer.

It was one of the proudest days of Evan's life to get his fishing guide license and to share the experience of Montana with other anglers on the rivers of his birthplace. But by far, his proudest moment was learning he would be a father to his very own little boy, Ennis, due in June 2022. It galvanized Evan. He had found a life partner in Jenn Hernandez and was so excited to teach Ennis the ways of the river. How to hunt and cook and tie a fly or jig a lure. He had all the things he would teach him mapped out and had even bought a onesie that said, "Dad's little fishing buddy."

His family is consoled by his laughter - His antics - That he leaves a legacy of love and the outdoors and family who loved him. That even though his son will never meet him, Ennis will know his father.

Evan's unexpected passing will leave an emptiness that can't be filled.

Cast on, Evan. We all hope you're pulling in baskets of brookies in the rich and untouched waters of Heaven.