Walter Rowland Browning

Walter Rowland “Sonny” Browning passed away on Wednesday, April 7th, 2021, in Las Vegas, NV, when his heart of gold gave way. He married his Cuban Sweetheart, Donna Lynn Avila Browning on December 28th, 1972, in Key West, FL, at the original LDS chapel to his personal angel in his personal heaven; and they were sealed together in the Washington, D.C., LDS temple on September 2, 1982, for time and all eternity. He was a wild, spontaneous, and crazy dad who loved scaring his two sons, Donovan Sonny and Ryan Michael. He teased and hugged his inherited daughters, Haley and Brooke. And he loved to wrestle with, play hide and seek with, sneak dessert to, hug and kiss, and talk with his favorite people in the world, his grandchildren: Lily, Sydney, Benjamin, Savannah, Liam, Bree, Jack, and McKenna. He loved them with all his heart. He also inherited a little Cuban lady, Buey, who just barely beat him to the other side. His family was the most important thing to him and he showed it in all he did and said.

Sonny was born on Thursday, February 17th, 1949, in Baton Rouge, LA, to Mannie and Wilma. His siblings and their spouses are Judy and Neil, Sue and Glenn, Rae and Cleve, Janie and Kelly, and Darnell and Karla. Sonny thoroughly enjoyed getting into trouble as a child and more so as an adult. Having fun, laughing, story-telling, loving his family, and helping people are what he did best and he was frequently found involved in these pursuits.

Sonny served in the United States Navy active duty from February 24th, 1969, until December 7th, 1972. He served as a corpsman and he was stationed in Key West, FL, on the U.S.S. Howard W. Gilmore. He was very patriotic and loved his country his entire life. Also, while stationed here he worked a McDonald’s night shift and this is how he met Donna.

He graduated from Valencia College in Orlando, FL, and was a respiratory therapist. He parlayed his degree to create a business, Professional Respiratory Home Care, Inc, in Okeechobee, FL, in 1984. He started his business in his home and his carport and grew it to the point where it gave him financial freedom for many years and allowed him to create many beautiful memories with his family and help countless people in need that we know of, and many more we are sure we do not.

Sonny had a story or a joke for just about anything and he always accompanied it with his sideways glance and grin and a laugh. Stories about Sonny grew far and wide, but that is exactly how he wanted it: always creating laughter for those encircled around him. He was a great man whose shoes will go unfilled from here on out and whose door to his family will remain open yet without his silhouette in the doorway waving goodbye after giving you a hug and telling you he loved you. He definitely lived life his own way, on his own terms, and he made everyone the better for it.

Family viewing to be held on Saturday, April 17, 2021 from 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Public viewing to be held on Saturday, April 17, 2021 from 10:00-11:50 a.m.

Funeral to be held directly following the viewing at 12:00 PM at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Ward house located at 9353 South Vistawest Drive, West Jordan, UT, 84088.

Military burial ceremony will be on Monday, April 19, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the Utah Veterans Cemetery & Memorial Park (Camp Williams Cemetery) located 17111 South 1700 West, Bluffdale, UT 84065.