Michael Gordon Browning

Michael (Mike) is preceded in death by his parents, Mack Gordon and Doris Lillian Browning, and his brother Jimmy Swanger. He is survived by his wife Janne Rockley; sister Neva Abbott; and all his children: his only daughter Mackenzie Browning, his four sons, Eric Browning, Kevin Browning, Ryan Browning, and Timothy Rockley. Mike is also survived by his niece Lindsey Browning.

Mike was born on January 29, 1951 in Birmingham. After graduating from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham in 1969 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served 3 tours in Vietnam. After returning stateside in 1971, he continued his career in the Marine Corps and was honorably discharged as a highly decorated Staff Sergeant. Among his several awards from his service as a Marine was the Navy Cross and an award for extraordinary heroism in time of combat.

Mike had a successful business career for thirty-two years in the Life Safety Industry. He began his career with FAST (Fire Alarm & Systems Technology, Inc.) on their R&D team, then moved to the sales team as a regional sales manager. FAST was acquired by Edwards Systems Technology (now a Carrier company) where Mike worked in marketing and until his passing as the Sale and Business Development Manager.

After moving from Bradenton, Florida to Glencoe Alabama in 2012, Mike found a new interest and love. He traded his Harley motorcycle for a tractor and a small hay farm. He will always be remembered for his big smile when riding his tractor as he prepared the hay each season.

Mike always made his wife and children his top priority and was always there to help them along each of their life’s path. He loved and was proud of them.

Those who had the privilege of knowing Mike well, found that inside that tough, Marine exterior lay a tender-hearted man. Some most exceptional examples of this are how he built an addition to his Florida home to care for his mother with respiratory illness, and how he took into his Alabama home his elderly mother-in-law suffering from dementia, caring for her as his own.

He will be so missed!

Celebration of his life will be July 10th. Please email [email protected] to request details prior to July 5th.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (CLL) specifying “research”.