Christopher Lee Brown
May 2, 1957 – August 28, 2025
Chris Brown was a caring and loving family man, a skilled craftsman, artist, and musician, a friend to many, and a devout Christian.
Chris had two church families of equal importance, and so there were two memorial services, filled with scripture, music, homilies, tributes, and fine receptions afterwards. One was at First Covenant Church, Seattle. Chris married Sandy Nelson and became part of that congregation, making good friends and participating in its music. His other church was Seattle’s Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, where he joined the staff a decade ago to integrate web design and videography. Working from a little closet aside the organ loft, Chris built a first-rate model for streaming worship services. Every Sunday Chris reliably managed the streaming, including one snowy Seattle Sunday morning when he had to walk miles to the cathedral. During the Covid-19 pandemic leaders from other churches (including First Covenant) sought his advice about how to stream their own worship services. Chris also became a valued part of the Saint Mark’s facilities team, combining his technology and carpentry skills. That role was well-used, including when he installed Sandy’s large art projects in the cathedral.
At First Covenant Church, Chris was part of a Bible-reading conventicle. Each Friday about fifteen men gathered to read aloud and discuss biblical texts. The group was akin to a midrash comprised of mostly amateur Protestants, with a few having theological educations. Chris loved being part of this group, especially after it transitioned to Zoom and he could fit it into his work schedule. A few minutes before noon the banter would start on Zoom, and then gradually the conversation turned to that day’s reading. Chris was quick to volunteer to read aloud, and to make insightful (or humorous, self-deprecating) comments. He knew the Bible well and thoughtfully connected passages to his personal Christian faith. His Catholic upbringing often came through in his comments. Chris would muse aloud that over the years he had thought about the passage being read, and sometimes connected it to other passages, or admitted he was puzzled about its meaning. Chris’s experience travelling in impoverished countries informed his understanding of biblical justice and mercy, especially when people were confronted by cruelty. He made comments about the biblical texts that took the group deeper into the meaning of the stories. For example, when Jesus met a lone Samaritan woman at a well at midday, Chris knew that she was an outcast, much like women he had seen when travelling as a videographer for Water 1st, a Seattle-based organization that funds water quality and sanitation projects for vulnerable communities around the world.
In Chris’s last weeks, the First Covenant String Band came to his house and played and sang to him. Music had been so important for him, both playing with others and writing songs. The conventicle held a final Zoom session with him. Each member got to tell Chris how much they valued and loved him. Rev. Steve Elde called it a sacred time and space. Reading scripture in a group develops these close bonds.
A memorial service was held for Chris at each church, and although they represented different traditions there was nevertheless so much in common. Tributes came from his sister Kathy Frugé Brown, daughter Elsie Nelson Brown, father-in-law Rev. LeRoy Nelson, sister-in-law Stephanie Nelson, and on behalf of the bible-reading conventicle, Darel Grothaus. At First Covenant his daughter Elsie sang a song that Chris had written for her baptism, and Rev. Dr. Todd Johnson preached a moving homily. The choir sang one of Chris’s favorite songs, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” and the congregation sang “Thy Holy Wings, Dear Savior,” “Children of the Heavenly Father,” and “For All the Saints.” At Saint Mark’s several choirs participated, the congregation concluded by singing Gustaf Holst’s “Oh God Beyond All Praising,” and for the postlude the Flentrop organ filled the cathedral with Widor’s “Toccata.” The music at the two services covered many styles, just as Chris liked.
The Saint Mark’s congregation heard these words from Romans 14: “For none of us has life in himself, and none becomes his own master when he dies. For if we have life, we are alive in the Lord, and if we die, we die in the Lord. So, then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s possession.” And at First Covenant, Darel Grothaus concluded his heartfelt tribute by saying, “Shalom dear brother. Shalom.”