John Owen Brown

John Owen Brown, 83, of Downs, Kansas, passed away peacefully on June 4, 2025, after a brief yet courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. A visionary entrepreneur, devoted family man, and passionate advocate for music and history, John’s legacy resonates across generations.

Born on February 25, 1942, to Bernice Naomi Brown and Verdis Udel Brown, John grew up in Downs, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his brother William Frederick Brown and daughter-in-law Jody Lynn Brown and is survived by his wife Twila Mayree Brown, son Jeffrey Lamont Brown (wife Jennifer Chen and their son Sacha de Poyen Brown), daughter Lisa Mayree Brown (husband Spencer Sellay and their children Maxwell Brown Sellay and Skylar Mayree Sellay) and son Timothy Owen Brown (children Noah Owen Brown and Maggie Bernice Brown and partner Kate Simmons) and sister Barbara Ann Brown (husband Marion Lynn), sister-in-law Sue Brown, nephew Michael Brown and niece Kimberli Brown.

It was in Downs where his entrepreneurial spirit first ignited, starting in middle school and going through high school with bagging groceries and candling eggs. He went on to attend Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, earning a business degree that would serve as the foundation for a lifetime of innovation and enterprise.

While at the University of Kansas, John met the love of his life, Twila Mayree Eaton. Their story began one evening at the Red Dog Inn, where John was working the door. From that moment on, they danced their nights away to the best rock and soul music of the era, drove Kansas highways in a yellow Bonneville with the top down, and dreamed out loud about the future they would build. They had so much fun together. They married on May 14, 1966. Over the years they welcomed their three children, Jeffrey, Lisa and Timothy. They spent their lives embarking on great adventures and working together as lifelong business partners.

In the early days of his career, John’s entrepreneurial spirit burned brightly. He launched ventures from party photography to sandwich delivery, and even sold neckties to his Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers. However, it was at KU that he brought his transformative ideas to life in artist management and promotion. He created Mid Continent Entertainment and used the KOMA 50,000 watt radio station in Oklahoma City to energize teens across the Western US. Concurrently, he spearheaded the 1965 renovation of the Bowersock Opera House in Lawrence, Kansas, into the legendary Red Dog Inn. John’s efforts coalesced to revolutionize Rock and Roll music across the Midwest.

Through Mid Continent Entertainment, John produced and managed bands like The Fabulous Flippers, The Red Dogs, The Rising Suns, Spider & The Crabs, and The Blue Things, introducing a searing new sound to the region. Together, they toured across the Midwest, filling venues with electrifying performances that left sold-out crowds spellbound with their roof-raising showmanship interwoven with the revolutionary sounds of brass, funk, soul, and the Hammond B3 keyboard. These bands, still performing more than 50 years later, played at landmark events including the inaugurations of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. The music and bands from this era were pivotal to John’s life, creating lifelong joy, friendships, and celebrations. John Brown loved the people in his musical world. The bands were also inducted into the Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska Music Halls of Fame — a living tribute to John’s bold vision and unwavering artistry.

By 1973, John recognized that the music industry was a young man’s game. He and Twila moved to Dodge City, Kansas, where they began farming with family. The agricultural enterprise would grow to become one of the largest irrigated farms in Southwestern Kansas. He continued to innovate while farming by bringing nontraditional crops and practices to the Midwest. John also founded the Dodge City Corn Company, which served as a central grain repository for the farming operation.

In 1989, John and Twila relocated to Loveland, Colorado, and made their home on Boyd Lake, where the sunsets filled their evenings with peace, gin games, and beauty. There they opened Colorado Tractor Corporation, a farm equipment business that once again reflected John’s relentless drive and entrepreneurial spirit. John and Twila worked side by side to develop successful real estate and investment companies. They traveled extensively to five continents and spent countless hours with their grandchildren.

John was not only a builder of businesses and cultural landmarks, but also a builder of memories, adventures, and dreams. He was a soulmate to his wife, an inspiring father, and a proud grandfather to Noah Brown, Maggie Brown, Sacha de Poyen Brown, Maxwell Sellay, and Skylar Sellay, all of whom carry his humor, creativity, and heart forward into the world.

A graveside service for John will be held Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 10:30 AM at Loveland Burial Park, 1702 Cleveland Ave., Loveland, CO 80538.