A Gentleman and a Gentle Man

I heard Bob Brown described that way this evening. And it couldn't be more fitting. Robert A. Brown passed away on June 8th. His funeral was tonight. He was 93. This is a man who came into a small, family-owned bank in one small town in Kansas. During his administration, he grew it to a three-state, ten-location enterprise. I am amazed at the fact that a man can have lived so long and have built such a large business and there is not a single person who can find a bad word to say about Mr. Brown. And that's what most people called him. Not that he was stuffy or remote and one didn't feel comfortable calling him by a more casual name. They called him Mister because he deserved the title of respect.

Actually, if I think about it, I'm not surprised that no one has anything negative to say about him. I had the privilege of knowing the man. I wish I had known him better. I have heard him described in terms like ... shrewd, determined and a human business barometer. And yet he was considered to be unfailingly kind, generous, caring, giving, gracious and always a gentleman's gentleman. Even in the course of guiding his bank to multistate status, he never lost the human touch.

When my time comes, I will be very fortunate if people think even half so well of me as the world thought of Bob Brown.

He will be sorely missed.