Funeral services for Marion Ray “Pops” Brown, 77, of Ninnekah, will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at the Ninnekah First Baptist Church with Johnny Freeman officiating and Benny Lockler assisting.
Marion Ray Brown was born on November 21, 1939 in Comanche, Oklahoma to L.W. and Martha Brown. He passed away on January 5, 2017 at Integris Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Marion started working at age 14, learning the meat cutting trade at Barns and Wolf Store in Duncan. At age 17, he met the love of his life, Patsy Wall of Comanche. They married on January 27, 1959 in Duncan.
In 1960 he went to work for Humpty Dumpty Supermarkets as the meat department manager. He worked at many store locations and moved to Ninnekah in 1969. In 1985, Humpty Dumpty went out of business in Oklahoma and he was given the opportunity to relocate to Detroit, Michigan with the company, but he turned it down. He then went into business for himself. 1982 he started G & M Oilfield Business. 1986 he purchased the corner lot of Dell and Grand in Ninnekah and built the Ninnekah Quick Stop, which he owned for many years.
Marion was saved at James Robinson Revival in Oklahoma City in 1964. He was a member of Ninnekah Baptist Church for the past 47 years. He served as a school board member for Ninnekah Public Schools and he was also a member of Affiliated Meat Cutters Union.
He is a 32 nd Degree Mason, Ninnekah FFA Booster, All Sports Booster, Member of Grady County Coon Hunters, and Ninnekah Historical Society.
Pops enjoyed playing pool and would challenge anyone, but his love was spending time with his very large family. Pops had a huge sense of humor. He loved big family gatherings and holidays were special times. He was also passionate about tending to his cattle with the help of his big dog “LeRoy.”
He was preceded in death by his parents, L.W. and Martha Brown; baby brother, Little Harold; brother, Carol Wayne Brown; infant granddaughter, Bella Kynlee Grace Kilgore; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Boy and Ruth Wall; brother-in-law, Buster Wall; sisters-in-law, Wanda Stogstill and Susie McDaniel.
Marion is survived by his wife, Pat, of the home and is the proud father to Judy and Tom Hurst, Gerald and Gayla Brown, and Pam and John McCoy, all of Ninnekah; grandson, Justin and Lesley Ratzlaff of Piedmont. He is “Pops” to grandchildren Rachel Jerdee and Mark Fulton, Lindsey and Clay Caveness, Jandi Haskell, Jerrod Haskell, Tia Jolley, Kennedy Kilgore, Sophie McCoy, Remington McCoy; great-grandchildren, Shawna, Kylie and Kolten Jerdee, Jacob, Shelbie and Cooper Caveness, and Piper Ratzlaff; and many more kids that always called him “Pops”.
Special angels, Dr. Don Hess, P.A. Delanie Berry and Diane Pennypacker, that was always there for us.
In lieu of flowers, Pops’ wish was that you would give to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Ninnekah Schools, Ninnekah Baptist Church or Shriners Hospitals for Children, for which he had a passion for children.
Interment will be in the Brown Family Plots, Ninnekah Cemetery under the direction of Ferguson Funeral Home.