Gary E. Brown, 69, of Englewood, Fla., passed away Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013.

He was born Aug. 6, 1943, in Huntington Ind., and was raised in Hicksville, Ohio.

After he graduated from Hicksville High School in 1961, Gary joined the U.S. Army Reserve from 1961 to 1967. He worked at International Harvester in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he completed his apprenticeship as a Millwright and worked for 20 years. He co-owned a bakery and laundromats with his wife Mary. Gary moved to Springfield, Ohio, where he worked at Navistar for 22 years, and owned several rental properties. He was a proud member of the UAW for 50 years, and was a past steward. Gary followed his longtime dream of becoming a resident of Englewood in 2010. In November 2012, he and his beloved wife Mary celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Despite his many accomplishments, his real joy was his family and friends. Gary fought a valiant eight-year battle with cancer; his strength and positive attitude inspired all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife and best friend, Mary; daughter, Danna (David) Kimpel; son, Darren (Shelly) Brown, all of Hicksville; grandchildren, Kelly (Jason) McCoy of Defiance, Ohio, Justin (Leslie) Meyer of Katy, Texas, and Dustin (Jen) Kimpel, Travis Brown and Zac Brown, all of Hicksville; great-granddaughters, Annabell and Scarlett Meyer of Katy, and Peyton Kimpel of Hicksville; brothers, Terry (Sharon) of Hicksville, and Mike (Carol) of Findley, Ohio; and sisters, Pat (Bill) Grooms of Sarasota, Fla., Mary Brown of Boston, Mass., and Diane (Dave) Brickle and Cindy (Woody) Curry, all of Hicksville. Gary was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Bernard and Clara; and brother, Lance.

A Memorial Service will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, at Lemon Bay Funeral Home in Englewood. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date in Hicksville. In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be made to Ohio State James Center OSUCCC-James, Office of Development, 660 Ackerman Road, P.O. Box 183112, Columbus OH 43218-3746 — In Honor of Gary E. ”Miracle” Brown; or to your choice of organization to defeat cancer. You may express your condolences to the family at www.lemonbayfh.com.

Arrangements are by Lemon Bay Funeral Home and Cremation Services.