A Blessed Man

If you knew Earl Brown for a minute or a lifetime, of one thing you could be sure: he would talk to you about Jesus. Lovingly and without pressure, he would coax you to accept Him as your Lord and Savior so you could know for certain that when you die, you will live with Him forever in heaven. He had an uncanny gift of speaking God's truth without false motive-wonderfully guileless (without ulterior motive) in every way-and often with tears of humility and awe at the magnitude of such an undeserved salvation. He was a living testimony of Psalm 32:1-2: "Blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven ... and in whose spirit there is no guile."

Earl Brown. Unwavering in his faith, deeply aware of how incredibly blessed he was, and completely guileless in his commitment to share the Good News of Jesus' gift of salvation with all who would listen.

"Big Earl," as he was known in his early years, was a dashing swashbuckler who grew up in the mountains outside Knoxville, Tennessee. He left school in the eighth grade to help support his widowed mother and his siblings.

At age 21, just hours before shipping off to the Navy, he swept 20-year-old Terry Ann Keener off her feet in Lenoir City, Tennessee, and these two kids began a journey beyond their wildest dreams. Their life together would span 70 years of marriage; three children, one in heaven and two beloved sons, Keith and Michael; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Earl and Terry made their first home in San Diego, California, where Earl served four years in the Navy aboard the USS Lewis as a radioman. While in the Navy, Earl earned his GED, allowing him after he served to launch a long and successful career with Union Carbide, where he rose to the highest level attainable for a non-degreed employee. His work took the family to Victoria, Texas, where their sons grew up, and later to Luling, Louisiana, where they lived for 20 years and Earl retired.

Along the way, Earl discovered a love for golf, playing well into his 70s and earning four holes-in-one along the way. He also created Big Earl's Hot Sauce, generously sharing the original recipe-now lovingly crafted around the globe by its many lucky recipients. Though he didn't cook much, Earl could rustle up a fish fry like none other, with Terry's help of course! And guests were always welcome at their table.

After retirement, Earl consulted overseas as a production specialist, allowing him to travel with Terry around the world several times visiting more than 35 countries and sharing adventures they never imagined possible.

With the arrival of grandchildren, Big Earl became Papaw-and what a Papaw he was! When his four-year-old granddaughter Hannah insisted Papaw "get tough" and drive his "Big L" to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to be near the grandchildren, Earl listened. He and Terry moved to Tulsa, where they fully immersed themselves in church, ministry, and family life until the Lord called them Home.

When it came to the grands and their nine great-grands, "Papaw's Rules" prevailed, so the parents learned to lovingly surrender limits on first tastes of ice cream, golf cart and gun lessons, and other early adventures. These generations were richly blessed by the seemingly limitless fun and joyful faith modeled by their amazing Papaw and Mamaw.

A defining turning point in Earl's faith came when his own preacher grandfather died when Earl was 39. Earl returned from that funeral a changed man-ready to boldly now wield the sword of the Spirit, God's Word. Golf took a back seat as ministry, missions, and service as a Gideon took center stage.
From that point forward, wherever Earl and Terry went, they shared the Gospel - whether with a hotel housekeeper, a restaurant server, a fellow traveler, or a prison inmate - changing lives literally around the world.

The simplest and most enduring tools of their ministry was Papaw's Yellow Card, a small card he created that asked a single compelling question: "Do you know for sure that when you die, you will go to heaven?" Earl shared it literally everywhere and taught others to do the same. The Yellow Card has been translated into more than 10 languages, shared with over two million people worldwide, and still remains in active use today.

Earl would be the first to admit he was not perfect. Yet through his life, he showed that God uses broken people in mighty ways. As he often said, "We don't have to be afraid or timid. The Holy Spirit does the work. We just have to show up."

There is no doubt that Big Earl showed up.

There is also no doubt that on December 30, 2025, at 10:06 a.m., all of Heaven rejoiced to welcome Home this good and faithful servant - this blessed man whose sins were forgiven and in whose spirit there was no guile.

We know that Earl is not gone, simply gone ahead.

He is preceded in death by his beautiful wife of 70 years, Terry; their infant son, Kent; his dear mother, Mary Terry, and his father, Edd Brown; his stepbrother, Ray; his brothers, Harold and Charles, and Charles's wife, Jerri; his brother-in-law, Zane Parker.

The legacy he left here on this earth includes his sister, Charlotte Parker; his sister-in-law, Jan Brown; his sons, Keith (wife Karen) and Michael (wife Carol); his grandchildren, Elizabeth, Gannon (wife Kate), Jordan (wife Stephanie), and Hannah Brown Brunette (husband Peter); his great-grandchildren: Jett, Kruz, and Trip Brown; Maelyn and Chapman Brown; and Bowen, Beckett, Banks, and Briggs Brunette; as well as a wide array of cousins, nieces, nephews, and their generations.

A Celebration of Earl's Life will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026 at 2:00 PM at
Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel located at 3612 E 91st Street S, Tulsa, OK 74137.

All who plan to attend are encouraged to join his family in wearing business casual attire which best reflects the "Big Earl" we all knew and loved.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to one of Earl's favorite ministries Student Mobilization, by going to this link: << https://give.stumo.org/account/407/254?&Frequency=135^true >>

The family would love to read about all your special memories and/or favorite things about Earl. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts! Thank you so much!