Roll Call Tribute

Published in Houston Chronicle on Dec. 30, 2018

Paul Brown
1970 - 2018

Paul Jonathan Brown
1970-2018
A quick search yields an impressive scope of Paul J. Brown's professional experience as a litigator. After achieving academic honors at Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin, he went on to become a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig.
But search engines aren't people and people who lived with and loved Paul know him for more than diplomas and courtroom prowess. His mealmaking for one. What he put on your plate was as wonderful as his style in the kitchen was wild. If you could handle witnessing (and maybe having to clean up) a tornado of spices, sauces, meat, and vegetables, you'd be privy to some of the best barbecue, salads, and sides in the Bayou City.
His culinary skills certainly shone, but he wasn't one for standing in the spotlight. A natural tendency toward stepping back socially as the calm, cool, quiet guy in the corner was sometimes brought into question–like when he painted himself Incredible Hulk-green to outdo anyone else's Halloween disguise.
If his dedication to the occasional costume and–long list of satisfied clients at the firm–was unwavering, his devotion to his children and the daughter of his wife, Michelle, was even more remarkable. Joined by Michelle at the helm, they journeyed as a family to explore the Keys of Florida, the mountains of Whistler, the hamlets of Cape Cod, the slopes of Aspen, the waters of Vancouver, the streets of Paris, and the seafood of Marseille.
When it's easy for parents of blended and separated families to step away from responsibilities and dedication beyond the basic, Paul refused that notion, being as present as he could be and them some.
Paul's guitar strumming, linebacker strength, comforting calm, and sweet smile aren't part of our every day anymore. We'll miss his humor, the way he made us laugh at his ridiculous puns, his analytical thinking, his practicality, his brute strength that translated into the warmest bear hugs, and his generosity.
There's no way to replace him, but we can recognize what he meant by celebrating what a special, son, brother, husband, father, son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, swimming buddy, colleague, cowboy boot aficionado, chef, and friend he was.
He is survived by his wife, Michelle; his children, Belen and Diego; his bonus daughter, Eva; his parents, Lola and Francis; his brother, Ken; his brother, Doug; his sister-in law, Amanda; and, his nephews Ronin and Joaquin.
Paul was anything but the expected and traditional, so we'd love for your tribute to him to be the same. Instead of the usual bouquet, please make donations to the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance of Greater Houston or Mandala House.

A great loss of a great guy.