Bruce C. Brown

Bruce Brown ‘A lion of a man’ Former Enterprise co-publisher was dedicated to community, family and Lac La Belle Sept. 11, 1926 – Feb. 18. 2014 By Katherine Michalets Special to The Freeman OCONOMOWOC – During his 87 years of life, Bruce Brown may have traveled far and wide and visited the White House several times, but it was the view of Lac La Belle from his home that he admired most. An avid newspaper man, sailor, family man and supporter of the community, Brown leaves behind a legacy, which his family says was his goal. “He worked hard at creating something that would have longevity and would be sustained long after (him),” said daughter Jennifer Fisher. Brown died at home of natural causes Tuesday morning, surrounded by his wife and four children. He was 87 years old, and up until a few weeks ago, he was still walking around the track at the YMCA at Pabst Farms with his walker. Born Sept. 11, 1926, in Fargo, N.D., Brown moved to Oconomowoc in 1936. His father, C.W., bought the Enterprise that year when it was having financial troubles. Bruce and his brother, Bart, eventually found their own roles at the newspaper, and some of their children also got involved. When the press room men were called up to fight during World War II, Bruce quickly learned how to operate the machines. Even while Bruce attended Northwestern University, where he earned a mechanical engineering degree in 1949, he was called upon to help solve problems at the newspaper. Before becoming a full-time employee in 1949, Bruce worked part time and commuted back and forth from Evanston, Ill. After starting work at the Enterprise, Bruce was responsible for the commercial printing operations of the newspaper, while Bart was responsible for the newspaper, advertising and editorial content. While much of Bruce’s life revolved around the newspaper, he was also a family man. He and his wife, Jo, raised five children, Brad, Gayle, Kimberly, Carter and Jennifer. Kimberly preceded Bruce in death. The couple also has 12 grandchildren. Bruce met Jo while dancing on Jan. 10, 1954. They got engaged in June and married Nov. 20, 1954 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Their honeymoon was spent in Cuba, where Bruce wanted to see the forts and canons, while Jo thought they were going to relax on the beach. His love of sailing was something Brown shared with his children. He was a member of Lac LaBelle Yacht Club since 1936. He served as chief judge and raced boats during that time. Last summer, Brown was honored at the 75th annual Wisconsin Yachting Association regatta on Lac LaBelle. “He loved the lake 12 months a year and enjoyed ice boating in the winter and sailing in summer months,” Fisher said. Fisher, who now lives in London, said that whenever she called her father from some exciting place, he would tell her he was sitting in his chair near a window with a view of the lake and that “ ‘you should see how it looks from here.’” Brown remained committed to the Oconomowoc community, as the publisher of the Enterprise, but also as a member and past president of the Rotary Club, a member of the Foundation of the Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital, and was on the board of directors for the Oconomowoc Area Foundation. Another position, that as the president of the National Newspaper Association, took Bruce and Jo to many countries and allowed them to meet five sitting presidents. In addition, the couple met Egyptian President Anwar Sadat shortly before he was assassinated and were at a Taiwanese president’s inauguration. Bruce and Jo also traveled on their own to New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, China, Alaska and around Europe. Despite much foreign travel, Brown was loyal to his home state. “He was the most Wisconsin person I have ever met,” Fisher said, adding he was an advocate for the state. All of the Brown’s children went to University of Wisconsin - Madison so Bruce and Jo became Badger season ticket holders and remained them for 55 years. “He was a lion of a man; he demanded your respect,” son Brad Brown said. Daughter Gayle Brown Moser also remembers her father as being “extremely moral.” “If you make a mistake, come clean. Be honest,” she said of his viewpoint. “He had no tolerance for dishonesty.” As a man who oversaw much change in the newspaper industry, Fisher said he also embraced change for the community. “He was a forward-thinking guy,” she said. “He embraced change. If we stagnate, we’re doomed.” Brown’s children also remembered him as a man who strongly advocated for the free market, small businesses and education. “He really, really valued education. He thought every single kid deserved a great education and he wouldn’t compromise on that,” Fisher said. As a child, Brown became involved in the YMCA so years later he and Jo helped to raise money for the new building at Pabst Farms, in addition to helping to plan it. When not at work or out in the community, Brown could often be found tinkering in his workshop in the downstairs of his home. His children remembered him as always “optimizing something in the house.” Brad Brown described his father as a “technology guy” who wanted to make things dependable and reliable. “He was a leader and it wasn’t in words, it was in actions,” Brad said. “Don’t stop learning is the bottom line.” A visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until the 1 p.m. funeral service Saturday at First Congregational of Oconomowoc, 815 S. Concord Road. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Oconomowoc Area Foundation, The Oconomowoc Free Clinic, The Oconomowoc Scholarship Fund and the YMCA.