A legend left us last week.
Irv Brown…maybe we should call him Mr. Everything.
He was a husband, father, outstanding high school and collegiate athlete, coach, revered sportscaster and talk show host, and terrific college hoops referee with an encyclopedic memory of all things and players in Colorado sports over sixty plus years.
Irv’s enthusiasm was unmatched.
It was like there was an eternal flame in his belly that awakened him each morning and grew stronger with every person he met…every ball player he coached. To say that he left a lasting impression on all who knew him would be absolutely correct.
I chose this picture of Irv because it looks just like him the hot June day in 1966 that he welcomed us to his Arvada Legion A baseball club.
In five seconds, we realized this was not your average coach. Years later, when reading about Dale Carnegie, I realized how fortunate we were to be coached by the baseball version of the great man. He was Jim Valvano before anyone heard of the great NC State coach.
Irv’s memorial service is next Saturday at 10:00 at Broomfield Methodist Church.
May I suggest that people arrive early.
Like the finals of The NCAA finals that he refereed so often, the place will be packed as Colorado bids farewell to a legend and the most contagiously enthusiastic man most of us have ever met.
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