R. Romer Brown, 79

World-record holder for the most Smith River floats in the over-70 age category, R. Romer Brown has left his corporeal form for the next adventure down the river Styx. Hoping to live 80 years, Romer was on his 80th trip around the sun when he passed in late February at the age of 79 years, 5 months, 12 days. Though born in Kellogg, Idaho, to Jane Teller and Robert Brown on September 14th, 1942, his mother’s family was from Kingston, New York, and that’s where he was baptized in 1947. Romer spent the bulk of his life in Northern Idaho and recalled struggling to breathe while playing baseball as a kid in Kellogg - his throat burning as he stood in left field near the silver mine smelter. That didn’t keep him from working as a mine guide for tourists in the summer. Romer graduated high school as the only Catholic kid, from St Martin’s, in Lacey, Washington. Continuing his studies at Oregon State University, as an Alpha Tau Omega member and ROTC cadet, Romer earned a Bachelor of Science/Social Science in 1965. Following in his father’s career path, he attended law school, earning a Juris Doctor degree at University of Denver in 1968. Continuing with ROTC through law school, Romer gained the rank of First Lieutenant by graduation. After Romer was admitted to the Idaho State Bar in September of ’68, he enlisted in the US Army, as the American War in Vietnam was ramping up. In hindsight, this was brilliant as his birth date was drawn 001 of the 1969 Selective Services Draft. Romer’s first assignment with an armor maintenance battalion, was to run a tank repair shop. Romer admitted to having zero familiarity maintaining anything, but quickly figured out it was just managing part orders and doing paperwork. Romer then completed a tour of duty in Vietnam as a general’s aide in Ho Chi Minh City, often accompanying the general to see much of the tropical country by helicopter or driving a jeep. His most memorable experience of the American War in Vietnam, was being in an outdoor shower stall while incoming mortar shells went off nearby and having to hug the ground, naked, as explosions eroded his hearing. Prior to being honorably discharged, he gained a rank of Captain and earned a Bronze Star. Before returning to Idaho, Romer traveled around Europe on his own, igniting a travel bug that he would itch often in his life. Though he traveled as far away as the Cook Islands and Fiji, Romer more often opted closer to home, and most often in the woods, with life-long friends while camping, fishing and hiking.

When he finally made it back to Idaho after the war, Romer served as Assistant District Attorney in Coeur d’Alene for six years, before starting his own law firm, in 1978, with Carolyn Justh. Their building and practice was a fixture in downtown Coeur d’Alene until 2015. By 2018, he had been admitted to the practice of law for 50 years. Romer was of course, a proud member of the Brown & Justh Bowling Team. If you happen to have an extra Brown & Justh Bowling Team shirt, please send it to: Seth Lazuli, PO Box 3, South Royalton, VT 05068.

In 1972, Romer married Kathy Englert and had four children before separating in 1981. In 1990, Kathleen Knudsen joined Romer in marriage and life. She was present when he died Saturday morning, February 26th, 2022 in Clackamas, Oregon at a memory care home. Romer was often tickled by taking in the awesome sites of “the Bob” Marshall Wilderness Area, the Beartooths, and the confluence of the Missouri River in Montana. He traveled avidly in the wilds of Idaho and was eerily good at sighting animals in the mountains and forest from the driver’s seat of his American-made car. He often hiked past the end of the road, in felt-soled shoes, to fish the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River or the Upper St. Joe River. In the fall, Romer was a sought-after hunting partner, enjoying the cold, damp, muck of duck hunting at Lake Pend Oreille and the chain lakes near St. Maries. He shared the bounty of his hunting with an annual duck dinner with his friends. Romer was also a competitive trap shooter, sponsoring his own team. In the summertime, Romer spent weekends at his family cabin, on Coeur d’Alene Lake, where, as a kid, he and his sister raced down the grass to the flat rock beach to skip stones. As his jet-black hair turned grey, he watched as his own children and grandkids raced down the same strip of lawn to the lake, witnessing the fourth generation of rock-skippers. There are pictures of him in scuba gear, as a youth at the cabin, and rumor has it, he could barefoot water ski. If you ever saw a fluorescent pink hat bobbing around Moscow Bay, it was actually Romer on his daily side-stroke swim. A classic Romer Brown lake cabin ritual was eating a large wedge of cantaloupe, topped with fresh black pepper, while basking in the sun. Summer also found Romer at his regular weekly golf game. A long-time member of Hayden Lake Country Club, he taught his kids to golf there and after more than forty years of membership, Romer got a hole in one in 2005. Romer could be found, many winter weekends, swooping gracefully, in wide arcs, down the slopes at Schweitzer or Lookout Pass, where he learned to ski as a kid with his sister, Brenda. Romer visited Brenda in the Seattle area when he could, and always enjoyed going to Seahawks games at the Kingdome. Locally, he was a supportive fan of Gonzaga’s sports teams. Romer was a member of St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church and part of his daily routine during his working life was to read the Bible while enjoying half of a grapefruit with a serrated spoon. Both of these habits left him healthy of body and soul for his whole life. As a member of Ducks Unlimited, a Kiwanis Club Kiwanian for 25 years, North Idaho College Foundation Board Director, a founder of Family Promise of North Idaho which provides support to end family homelessness, it was clear to many that Romer spent a great deal of time and resources to better his local community through philanthropic endeavors, not only as a part of these organizations, but individually. There’s a good chance you or someone you know in the community was impacted by Romer’s time and efforts.

Robert Romer Brown is survived by his wife of 31 years, Kathleen Brown; four children with his ex-wife, Kathy E. Lee: Romer Brown (Lenneke) and their children, Shawn, Jackson and Aidan; Hillary Brown and her daughter Noella; Savannah Teller-Brown and her kids, Ronan and Willow; and Seth Lazuli (Kenya) and their kiddo Sati; two step children with his wife Kathleen: Heather Phillips (Richard) and their children Kate and Mack; and Amanda Wheelwright (Anthony) and their children, Dylan and Aida; his sister, Brenda Dippel (Butch); his niece, Tiffany Hagberg and her children, Trevor and Matthew; his nephew, Brian Tefft (Julie) and their son, Sam.

The love and pride Romer had for each of his children, grandchildren and extended family was always evident, supporting them in the best way he knew how. There is no doubt he will continue to cheer them on, in all their endeavors, from the great beyond.

All are welcome and encouraged to celebrate the life of R. Romer Brown, at a funeral mass and reception, at the Saint Pius X Church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on April 4th, 2022 at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Family Promise of North Idaho (FamilyPromiseNI.org).

Yates Funeral Home is entrusted with final arrangements. Please visit Romer’s online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com