Co- Founder/CEO
Kevin Brown began his career in funeral service in 1991, when he started working at Chapel By The Sea in Fort Bragg, California. After two years of working in the industry, he knew it was more than a job it was a calling. He graduated from San Francisco College of Mortuary Science as a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, working in California and Nevada until he relocated to Colorado. He worked at funeral homes on the Front Range and the Western Slope. And, while in Glenwood Springs, Kevin was also appointed as Deputy Coroner in Garfield County.
Kevin and his wife Sheila enjoy traveling and spending time with their children and grandchildren. As a professional singer, Kevin has won awards, recorded his music and delighted the community with his wonderful voice.
Kevin loves people and is passionate about helping them during their time of loss. For years, his dream was to have his own funeral establishment where families could choose simplicity without compromising dignity. Where funeral merchandise and services are affordable to everyone, and where customers are treated like family.
Kevin is proud to offer Western Colorado Brown’s Cremation & Funeral Service Inc .
Co- Founder/President
Sheila Brown is a native of Grand Junction. She began her legal career as a Division Clerk for the 21st Judicial District of Colorado, and served over 20 years.
Sheila’s ability to inspire, motivate and build confidence in others catapulted her into a successful 30 year marketing career with an international catalog company based in the U.S.
Friends often praise Sheila for her abilities as a homemaker, interior decorator and candy maker extraordinaire. But, she would say her biggest accomplishment is being a wife and mother, and her greatest joy is being a grandmother. Her cup overflows.
General Manager
We proudly present Jay Wilson, General Manager of Brown’s. Jay’s area of responsibility is to oversee
everyday operations of the Funeral Home and Care Center, staffing, inventory,
and automobiles. In addition, Jay makes
funeral arrangements and is licensed to sell PreNeed insurance.
Office Manager/ Funeral Director
Brown’s proudly introduces Andrea Wilson, Office Manager. Originally from southern California, Andrea and her husband, Jay, have lived and worked in various parts of the country –most recently Arizona.
Never afraid to take on a challenge, Andrea set out to be a Large Animal Veterinarian. At the time she was taking her college courses, she was also training and showing Arabian horses. Her love for animals soon became obvious when she had collected enough orphaned animals to open a petting zoo!
Administrative Assistant
Brown’s Cremation and Funeral
Service is proud to welcome Kamdynn Hager to our staff.
Funeral Director/Embalmer
Brown’s Cremation and Funeral Service is delighted to welcome Thomas Preston Walton, III to our staff.Growing up in Arlington, TX Thomas was very empathetic, often expressed compassion for others and was an exceptionally good listener. He always knew he wanted to help people. Attending his grandfather’s funeral became a pivotal time in his life. Expecting the worst, he remembers how much better he felt after seeing his grandfather’s body in the casket. He watched friends and other family members show the same positive reaction at the viewing. At the funeral service, he witnessed the caring attentiveness of the professional funeral directors.At age 13, he announced to his mother he wanted to be a funeral director, and had her take him to the local Funeral Home to meet the funeral director there. He learned exactly what was required and was determined that someday he would go to Mortuary College.Thomas was a good mortuary student and received an award for outstanding attendance. He graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 2003. He began his mortuary career in Glenwood Springs, CO where he served as a funeral director and embalmer. He was also Deputy Coroner of Garfield County. Helping families through the difficulty of losing a loved one is a passion that fulfills him. Thomas is an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys hiking, four wheeling, camping and boating. He especially delights in metal detecting which has yielded many treasures. He also likes working on old cars. But, more than anything, Thomas is a devoted family man who enjoys spending time with his wife, Misty, and their son, Caden.Funeral Director
Douglas Thomason had been helping
us nights and weekends, and found the work very rewarding. When asked to become
a permanent member of our team, he “came out of retirement” and joined us at
Brown’s.
Funeral Director
With great pleasure, we introduce Katharina Morrison.
Born in Switzerland and being
a world traveler, Katharina has a multitude of cultural experience. In addition to English, Katharina speaks
Swiss/German, Italian and French. During
her global travels, she gained intimate wisdom of foreign lands and people by
train-travel, bicycling and backpacking.
She has served as a catering
and event coordinator, assisted the school district with Special Education,
worked at the Grand Junction Visitor Center, worked at an Assisted Living and
Memory Care facility all while serving on several committees.
Crematory Assistant
We are proud to introduce Richard White who joined the
Brown’s team in 2019. As a Funeral
Assistant, he supports the Funeral Home and Care Center with his attention
to detail and has become an integral part of our crematory operations.
Pre-Need Counselor
Pat’s dedication to serving others began as a Police Officer near Cleveland, Ohio. Eventually the call of the Pacific Ocean brought Pat and his young family to California. Pat then spent more than thirty years helping the community and people of Santa Barbara with their insurance needs as well as singing Bass with an award-winning Men’s Chorus. Eventually Pat and his wife followed their son and his family to Grand Junction. They have enjoyed the city and the many friendly people who have welcomed them. Pat is honored and excited to be part of the Brown’s Cremation and Funeral Service family. His dedication to serving and helping others continues as Brown’s Pre-Need Specialist.
Care Team
Brown’s is proud to introduce
Randy Krause, a member of our
Care Team. Because of his
love for people, Randy is privileged to help families during such a difficult
time.
Randy comes to us from a diverse background. Having grown up in Michigan and working in the auto industry, he moved to Florida where he retired from CenturyLink.
Upon relocating to the Grand Valley, he was awarded a fulltime opportunity with Community Hospital where he is the Director of Volunteers – a most rewarding and fulfilling position.
Randy visits his two daughters and grandson in Florida as often as possible. He’s an avid golfer, enjoys the beach, hiking and spending time with Katharina.
As a cancer survivor, Randy lives every day with hope in his heart:
That every sick person will be well,
That every sad person will find happiness again.
Care Team
With pleasure, we introduce Abram
Sanchez, a member of Brown’s Care Team. Abram
considers it an honor to connect with families at such a tender time.
His love for people and wanting to help them is a quality he developed while working at his father’s restaurant.
Abram is a fulltime student at CMU majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He especially enjoys his math and physics classes and has aspirations of eventually acquiring a position with Lockheed Martin or a similar corporation.
Abram loves coaching soccer, camping, hiking, spending time with his girlfriend, Lisa and his German Shepherd, Django
Funeral Director Emeritus
Jeanie’s career in funeral service has spanned decades. She has proudly served families in Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Colorado, incorporating invaluable experience in multi-traditions, rituals and cultures. As a graduate of Cypress College of Mortuary Science and licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, Jeanie is also licensed to sell PreNeed Insurance specific to the Funeral Industry.
In our ever changing society with increasing popularity of cremation, Jeanie’s forte is educating families in, what often times, is an unfamiliar process. She started and operated Mariposa Gardens, a successful cremation facility in Arizona and was a featured speaker at an annual CANA Convention, “Cremation Association of North America.”
No two families are the same; each has different wants and needs. Jeanie’s gentle explanations and presentation of options, assures each family is served according to their wishes and unique situation.
Comfort Canine
Meet Paxton Cambridge Brown, our K-9 staff member. This handsome chap is a Goldendoodle, which is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. They are known for their silky fur and to be hypoallergenic.
Despite his young age (born November 8, 2018) he’s instinctively fulfilling his job description as Funeral Home Comfort Dog. His stable temperament and easygoing personality often give way to bouts of pure and joyful “puppy exuberance”. Paxton loves to play. Large, plush, squeaky toys are his favorites. As he developed his knack for “rapid fire” squeaking, he soon discovered the best time to show off his skill is when Dad is on the phone!
His keen attraction to water was obvious when he tried to swim in his water dish. He loves baths in the big tub and happily dips under water to retrieve his toys. But, the best part of bath-time is cuddling with Mom on the couch as he dries.
Paxton is working with a trainer to learn commands and refine his behaviors. But, his success as a comfort dog is due more to his personality than his training. Emotional support and comfort dogs like Paxton intuitively identify people who are struggling with anxiety and grief. Paxton’s selective breeding, tender eyes, and loving personality make him a perfect addition to Brown’s team of professionals.
Emotional Support
Sophie was our 12 year old Golden Retriever/ Lab mix. She’s was emotional support dog with an amazing temperament and seems to have had a keen sense for those who were grieving. We had often seen her go to the person who is visibly hurting and lay her head in their lap, and for a few brief moments, take their mind off of their current situation. She absolutely loved being here at work. You’d find her making her way through the funeral home, bringing a smile to all who came in contact with her. It wasn’t really our intention to have her at the funeral home, but she was such a comfort to our entire staff and to the many families we cared for. She had become quite the little celebrity and a fixture here at the funeral home. We often had people come in and ask for Sophie because they’ve heard about her from others. We understand that no one cares to enter a funeral home, but unfortunately there comes a time when most of us will be faced with that task of planning a funeral. Our goal is to make that experience the best it can possibly be, and while you’re here we invite you to get to know our newest furry family member Paxton, Sophie's little brother We know you’ll love him We do!
Funeral Director, Embalmer, Crematory Manager- Emeritus
David Botruff received his degree in Mortuary Science from Southern Illinois University in 1981. He has been a skilled and compassionate funeral director, embalmer and cremationist for well over 30 years.
Always ready to serve, David was a multi-year member of the Rock Island County Coroner’s Disaster Response Team in Illinois and also an active member of the Funeral Director’s Association.
Additionally, David has served in the Lions Club and volunteered with the Salvation Army during the Holiday Season. He is especially proud of the time he spent working with persons with developmental disabilities at the Grand Junction Regional Center.
Above all, David credits his close-knit family as the key to his success. He is dedicated to his wife of 41 years, 5 wonderful children, 13 amazing grandkids and 2 delightful great-grandchildren.
We are happy to have David at Brown’s Care Center, where he oversees the crematory, embalming facility and refrigerated care unit.