Marvin Nicholas Brown

Marvin Nicholas Brown, 88, of Emporia, Kansas, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at his home surrounded by his family.

He was born on December 7, 1937, in Olpe, Kansas, the son of George Matthew Brown and Mary Catherine Schneider Brown. Marvin graduated from Lamont High School in 1955. In November 1960, he was drafted into the United States Army and stationed in Germany with the Fourth Armored Division during the Berlin Crisis.

On December 28, 1963, he was united in marriage to Gayle E. Morgan at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Emporia, Kansas. Marvin worked as a sheet metal foreman and supervisor for Didde Glaser and Kansa Corporation. Not quite ready to retire fully, he later worked for Mast Engineering and also part-time at his son Matthew’s bicycle shop. Marvin could often be seen riding his bicycle around Emporia and continued cycling until the age of 82. He also served on the Lyon County Sheriff’s Volunteer Patrol for several years.

A devoted Catholic, Marvin attended and ushered at weekend Masses until his diagnosis with dementia. He and his wife, Gayle, dedicated many years to adoration and service on the Stewardship Committee at Sacred Heart. Marvin was a loyal member of Knights of Columbus Council #727 in Emporia, participating in numerous activities. He was also a member of VFW Post 1980 Lowry-Funston and American Legion Post 5.

Marvin deeply loved his family and invested wholeheartedly in his wife, children, and grandchildren. He enjoyed helping others and was known for his generosity, kindness, and the love he shared with so many.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant brother, George Brown; brothers, David and Virgil Brown; sister, Georgia Hailey; and son-in-law, Mark Duncan.

He is survived by his wife Gayle E. Brown of the home; son, Mark (Cindy) A. Brown of Emporia, daughter, Lisa (Randy) Duncan-Edes of Berryton, KS, and son, Matthew (Stephanie) E. Brown of Brownsville, TX; six grandchildren, Donovan (Heather) Brown, Kimberly (Jake) Umscheid, Rebecca Brown, Kaitlin (Keegan) Hemenway, Michael Duncan, and Mezzi Brown; seven great-grandchildren, Maverick Brown, Isabela Umscheid, Lily Hemenway, Beckett Umscheid, Stella Hemenway, Carmela Umscheid, and Mason Brown; brother, Mike (Judy) Brown of Redmond, Washington and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, with burial and military honors following at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery.

The rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at the church, with the family greeting friends afterward in the fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School Building Fund or Handlebars of Hope. Contributions may be sent in care of Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, Kansas 66801.

Online condolences may be left at www.robertsblue.com.