Ronald Brown

Ronald Brown, age 66, died Friday, September 10, 2021 at Columbus Community Hospital in Columbus, Nebraska.

A celebration of Ronald's life will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2021 at the Friedhoff Building ( 1270 27th Avenue ) in Columbus. A luncheon will start at noon , followed by a memorial tribute given by Ronald's family and friends.

Ronald Stanley Brown was born May 28, 1955 in Pawnee City, Nebraska to Dwayne Stanley and Freda Pauline (Peacock) Brown. Ronald was the youngest of three children. He attended school in Pawnee City until his family moved to Ashland, Nebraska and then to Columbus where he graduated from Columbus High School in 1974. On November 25, 1977, Ronald was united in marriage to Debra Spitz and they moved to Shelby, Nebraska. He and Debra have two children: Danielle and Brandon. They were later divorced. Ronald worked at Becton Dickinson in Columbus in 1978 where he was employed for approximately 12 years. While living in Shelby, Ronald volunteered for Shelby Fire and Rescue as a firefighter and an EMT. He attended Creighton University to further his EMS education and worked for American Ambulance in Omaha, Nebraska. He eventually moved back to Columbus where he worked at Behlen Manufacturing from 1997 until 2002. On January 17, 2002 he married Melody (Brunken) Hoffman and welcomed to the family her three children: Tracy, Dustin, and Elizabeth.

Throughout the years, Ronald enjoyed recreational activities such as riding his motorcycle, boating, fishing, and camping at the lake. For some time, he was a member of a bowling league in Columbus. Ronald enjoyed cooking for his family and was known for his prime rib recipe. You could usually count on Ronald to lovingly pull various pranks on his family and friends from time to time.

Ronald was preceded in death by
Parents: Dwayne & Pauline Brown
Brother: Richard Brown of Auburn, Nebraska
Many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins

Ronald is survived by
Wife: Melody Brown of Columbus
Children: Danielle (Cory) Waite of Shelby, Brandon Brown of Columbus, Tracy Franz of Columbus, Dustin (Stacia) Hoffman of Omaha, Elizabeth (Andrew) Purinton of Columbus
Grandchildren: Layla and Orion Waite, Matthew Franz, CJ and Eli McGhee, Judianne, Mia, Letty, and Elena Purinton
Sister Gail Dreher of Helena, Montana
Sister-in-law: Donna Brown of Auburn
Six nieces and nephews, nine cousins, and other relatives and friends.

Memorial donations are suggested to the family. A donation in Ronald's honor will be made to Shelby Fire and Rescue in Shelby.