HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 157
A resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for Thomas Leo Brown, former Ingham County Judge and member of the House of Representatives.
Whereas, It is with great sorrow that the members of the House of Representatives learned about the passing of Thomas Leo Brown. He will be remembered as a dedicated, lifelong public servant not only by his constituents in the city of Lansing and Ingham County at large, but by the people of the State of Michigan; and
Whereas, In 1931, Thomas Leo Brown was born to Leo and Maurine Brown in Hillsdale, Michigan. Alongside his siblings, he was raised on a farm in Leslie, Michigan. After graduating from Leslie High School in 1949, he honorably served in the United States Navy until 1952. Thomas continued his education in Michigan following Navy service, attending Jackson Junior College then graduating from Michigan State University in 1957. He began his legal career at the University of Detroit Law School, where he graduated in 1961 as a member of the first night school class. He then worked as an assistant prosecutor in Ingham County before transitioning into private practice at the Weed, Hildebrandt, and King Law Firm; and
Whereas, Thomas Leo Brown left private legal practice in 1966 when he was elected to the Fifty-seventh House District seat, representing the people of Lansing for two consecutive terms. During his tenure in this chamber, his extensive legal experience was invaluable during his service as the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee and as a member of the Conservation & Recreation, Education, Retirement, and Urban Affairs committees; and
Whereas, Thomas Leo Brown's time in the Legislature was only the beginning of his long and storied career in public service. In 1971, he was appointed by Governor William Milliken to serve as Probate and Juvenile Judge, an office he held until 1974 when he was elected as Circuit Court Judge for the Thirtieth Circuit Court in Ingham County. Judge Brown loved his job as a jurist, serving for over thirty years until retiring due to age limits in 2004. He presided over countless civil and criminal cases during his time on the bench, opining on a wide array of legal issues. He was respected not only by the citizens of Ingham County, but by his fellow judges as well, holding the position of President of the Michigan Judges Association in 1990 as well as Secretary of the State Bar of Michigan's Judicial Conference; and
Whereas, Thomas Leo Brown's commitment to serving others was evident not only in his work as judge but in his dedication to family. ?Father Tom?, as he was known, relished spending quality time with his children, teaching each of them to swim, ride bikes, play cards, drive a stick shift, and troll for walleye with a red and white flatfish. He never missed an opportunity to take the family on Coleman tent adventures in state, national, and Canadian parks. Thomas Leo Brown's judicial wisdom was also directly applied to family matters, as he was a great teacher of virtues and never missed the opportunity to teach his children that there was a ?right time to do the right thing,? imparting many lessons through his ?moral of the story? bedtime fables; and
Whereas Thomas Leo Brown is survived by his second wife, six children, Jos?, Suzanne, Catherine, Ram?n, Mar?a, and Tom?s, stepdaughter Stacey, eighteen grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, as well as a brother and step-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mar?a Mercedes ?Mercha?; and
Whereas, Upon Thomas Leo Brown's passing, we offer our condolences to his loved ones. His contributions to this chamber and the State of Michigan will be remembered; now, therefore be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we offer this expression of our highest tribute to honor the memory of Thomas Leo Brown, a member of the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1970; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Brown family as evidence of our lasting esteem for his memory.