Grant Fieldon Brown (Lebanon)'s Obituary
Grant Fieldon Brown, son of Drs. Jeffrey Lowell and Carolynne Hitter Brown, was born August 31, 2006, in Newton, Massachusetts. He left the arms of his parents, grabbed the hand of Jesus and walked right into Heaven on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, at the University of North Carolina Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill. He was “six and a half” years old.
Grant will be remembered forever by his devoted parents, Drs. Jeff and Carolynne Brown; his maternal grandparents, Ron (“Poppy”) and Nancy (“Nan”) Hitter, of San Juan Capistrano, California and his paternal grandparents, Lowell (“Pa”) and Gretchen Brown of Lebanon, Missouri; his maternal great-grandmother, Marion Mai, of New Jersey; two aunts, Stephanie Caldwell, of Towson, Maryland, and Cynthia Johnson, and her husband, Greg, of Caledonia, Michigan; two uncles, Jon Steele, and his wife, Andrea, of Aliso Viejo, California, and Derrick Steele, and his wife, Robyn, of Farmington, Michigan; many great-aunts and uncles, fun cousins, classmates, neighbors and a multitude of friends-who-are-like-family will also remember his inquisitive, sincere disposition.
Grant loved his house in Somerville, Massachusetts, where he bravely climbed on trees outside and on radiators inside. He inspected worms and ants, won stick swordfights with bad guys in the back yard, dug for gold in the driveway, and was exhilarated to be blown around by Daddy with the leaf blower. He could get lost in time playing with Legos on the floor of his bright green bedroom and eagerly shared his toys with any friends who’d join him. His natural relationship with music began early as a pots and pans drummer on the kitchen floor, then developed into an ability to recognize rhythms, beat-box, and sing “Fly Me to the Moon” in his sweet voice.
His bedtime ritual included arranging all of his “guys,” giving places of prominence to Jack, Bob, Stewart and Oswald, who slept closest to him and frequently accompanied him on trips. At the end of each day, Grant always prayed, asking Jesus for “a baby brother and a baby sister, thanked Him for dying on the cross and thanked Him for Mommy and Daddy.”
Grant was an enthusiastic member of the New Covenant School Kindergarten community in Arlington, Massachusetts last year and took very seriously his responsibility to enjoy recess, be prepared for show and tell, ask questions all the time, learn to read new words and let his imagination run wild. Grant pledged to run 10 quarter-mile laps in the school Jogathon fundraiser and ended up running 22 laps, the most in his class. Grant had a double measure of enthusiasm for life, yet was a thoughtful, disciplined child. Whether enjoying chocolate chip pancakes with extra crispy bacon at Andy’s Diner, listening to stories (he knew the difference between fiction and non-fiction), or simply shopping with Mommy or running errands with Daddy, Grant was content. He loved bold, imaginative adventures in the tree fort with Poppy and also feeding the animals and exploring every inch of Spring Mountain with Pa and Star.
Grant attended Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts with his parents, and has many friends there, both short and tall, young and old. He enjoyed Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and helping Mommy make cookies for the Streetlight Ministry for the homeless in Harvard Square. Grant also stood ready to help give away Christmas trees in the community as part of Hope’s annual Christmas tree-giveaway.
Grant confidently gave his heart to Jesus early in his short life and at times reminded Jeff and Carolynne, among others, he was happy Jesus was in his heart and that Jesus was his friend.
Memorial Donations to New Covenant School for the Grant F. Brown Scholarship may be made through Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Lebanon, Missouri.
Running on Streets of Gold “It’s with the heaviest of hearts we could ever have, that we want to share with you that our precious little Grant Fieldon Brown left our arms, grabbed the hand of Jesus and walked right into Heaven last night about 10:45 p.m. He was attending a supervised day camp on Monday where swimming was part of the day and the unthinkable happened. Carolynne and I are overwhelmed with disbelief and sadness. The outpouring of prayers from dear friends and families, colleagues, neighbors, ICU staff, friends of friends, and perfect strangers has been immeasurable and has touched us to our core. We are sincerely grateful for each of you and know that our Lord heard every word you offered up to Him. Please help us keep our grip on the cross, even when life is completely shattered. To God alone be the glory for the beauty, joy, and fun Grant’s life brought to us and so many of you. We’ll provide more information about services in Boston as soon as we can. We covet your continued prayers. Love, Jeff and Carolynne”
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