Low Down Articles
Valley Lives
Article 13 of 146
This article first appeared in the "Valley Lives" column in the July 8, 2020 issue of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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Leslie Brown
Vietnam war vet led life of adventure
By Michael Brown
Leslie Brown, aged 71, succumbed to late-stage cancer and congestive heart disease on June 23, 2020, in Cherry Valley, California, home of his elder brother and loving caregiver, Ken Brown. He passed peacefully, surrounded by the love of his brother's family, and was lifted with the prayers of his children and many others.
Les was born Dec. 26, 1948, in Montreal, Quebec. He was preceded in death by his father Gordon and is survived by his mother Joy, sister Ginny Brown, brother Ken Brown, and his children.
Les led a life of adventure. As a youth, he surfed the Californian shores with his high school sweetheart Nancy Brown at his side. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, and upon his return to California, became a motorcycle mechanic and later a Los Angeles police officer. He enjoyed motorcycle racing in the Californian, Nevada, and Mexican deserts with family and friends. Searching for a life of peace, he and wife Nancy moved to his ancestral home, Wakefield, Quebec, to farm and live a simpler life. In this setting, Jason Brown, his eldest son, entered and gave new meaning to their lives.
In his second marriage with Rosanne Pommier, three children were born: Michael, Nicholas, and Jacqueline Brown. He farmed for many years, until one fateful day when the barn collapsed in strong winds and his farming career came to a halt.
In this new freedom, he began the work to heal himself of the war trauma of his youth. He wrote and published a memoir detailing his military experience entitled, There It Is: A Canadian in the Vietnam War.
Les continued to live a life of peace and adventure, through surfing trips to Nova Scotia and California, kayaking and biking along the Gatineau River, motorcycle adventures through the Gatineau hills, and a memorable visit to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. One final adventure was a motorcycle tour across Thailand, a memory he held close to his heart.
As his spirit leaves this earth, his eldest son Jason and daughter-in-law Jasmine are due with his first grandson. God works in mysterious ways.
Because of COVID-19, we will be postponing funeral arrangements until we can all gather in his memory.
Michael Brown is Les Brown's son; he lives in Victoria, B.C.