Earl Coleman Brown, age 89, of Yakima, passed away on April 10, 2026 after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Earl was born on November 14, 1936 in Clinton, Arkansas to Cleo and Wilma Brown. In the 1940’s, his family moved to Central Washington. After graduating from Highland High School in 1956, Earl attended USMC basic training and joined the USMC Reserves.

In 1957, Earl met Carolyn Jean Watson, who was working as a waitress at his grandmother’s restaurant near Naches, Washington. Earl and Carolyn married in 1958 and raised three rambunctious boys: Michael, Bryan, and Alan. Those who knew Earl best, saw the steady way he showed up for his family, the quiet strength that defined him for a lifetime.

Earl began his professional life in 1959 as a member of a slash piling crew in the Naches Ranger District. From 1965 through 1968, he worked as a timber cruiser for Boise Cascade. In all, Earl devoted 33 years to the Forest Service, serving in roles that included marking/cruising timber, working on telephone lines, trail crew member, thinning crew, foreman of campground crew, putting up lookout structures, engineering slope and staking crew, timber sale planner and administration, and at the end of his career, working in Silviculture. He worked at both the Tieton and Naches Ranger Districts. During his career he worked on 125 major forest fires as a line crew memberand served as Safety Officer of Class II Fire Teams.

Earl received 17 awards during his service. One in particular, the 1st Stewardship for Land award given on behalf of the Wenatchee National Forest, reflected what friends and family already knew: Earl cared deeply for the land and how it was managed. He believed in the Forest Service mission, and he carried that same sense of stewardship into his everyday life—caring for and serving people, whether they were friends, family, or members of the community.

A talented artist, Earl painted hundreds of oil paintings inspired by the sights and forest critters he encountered during work days and the hours he spent hunting in the woods. He first “dabbled” in painting eight years before retirement, then took it seriously and produced hundreds of pieces, including oil paintings, pen and ink drawings, holiday ornaments, and other things that interested him. Near the end of his painting career, Carolyn was able to convince him to add wildflowers or cherry blossoms to some paintings, lovingly coined by Earl as “girl paintings.”

In a way that perfectly matched his generous nature, Earl loved gifting his work and never sold a single painting in his life. His work was exhibited in the “Windows of the Past” exhibit at the Yakima Valley Museum in the early 1990s. His paintings and drawings still adorn several friends and family member’s homes. A collection of his Forest Service lookout drawings remains on display in the Naches Ranger District office, and his artwork can still be seen adorning visitor signage up the Little Naches to this day.

Earl was the ultimate family man—a wonderful husband, father, brother, grandfather, and great grandfather. He provided for his family in every sense of the word, and as an accomplished hunter he kept them fed with venison and elk meat. Earl was also kind, gentle, and one of the best story tellers of all time. He could spin a tale from his time in the woods, or from moments shared with friends and family, and he carried a sly, mischievous side that made time with him equal parts special and entertaining. His close friends and family will always remember the many camping, fishing, and hunting trips over the years, and the steady love he gave so freely to “his people.”

When asked the secret to a long and happy marriage, Earl often responded, “Just say yes,” or “Carolyn is always right.” Everyone around Earl and Carolyn could see that their love and devotion to each other was his greatest life achievement.

Earl is preceded in death by mother Wilma Brown, father Cleo Brown, stepmother LaVerne Brown, brother John Brown, sister Jeannette Olson, and his beloved German Shorthair, Rosie. He is survived by his sons, Michael (Mary) Brown, Bryan (Debbie) Brown, Alan Brown, grandchildren Danny (Kristen) Brown of Yakima, Lindsay Grams of\ Selah, and Matt (Amanda) Brown of Yakima, sister Barbara Nichols of Yakima, brother David Brown of Yakima, and several great grandchildren and nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank the staff members from Garden Village and MultiCare\ Home Health and Hospice for their care and compassion for our beloved family member, Earl Brown.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 11:00am at Valley Hills Funeral Home.