William Chester Brown

On November 29, 2025 Jesus came, put his arm around Bill and said come “today you will be with me in paradise.”

Bill was born in Anoka, Minnesota and his family moved to Detroit Lakes when he was 2 years old. He was a beloved husband to Donna Marie (Scharske) Brown, for 64 blessed years, and a devoted father, grandfather, and friend. Bill is survived by his three daughters: Wendy (Tim) Franzwa of St. Cloud, Minnesota; Julie Szendrey of Duluth, Minnesota; and Susan Brown of Loveland, Colorado. He was the proud grandfather of seven grandchildren: Cory Franzwa (fiancé Molly Hesch) and Eric Franzwa of Salt Lake City, Utah; Sami Szendrey of Duluth, Minnesota; Alex Szendrey of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Private First Class Logan Booker, U.S. Army, stationed in Alaska; and Ryan and Gavin Booker of Loveland, Colorado.

As a young man, Bill was proud to serve as a lifeguard in Detroit Lakes, and his love for the water stayed with him throughout his life. His passion for swimming became a family legacy—every child and grandchild swam across Pickerel Lake at the family cabin to prove they could handle the water with confidence, just as he taught. Together they practiced lifesaving skills, “swamped the canoe”, and built the kind of memories that last for generations.

Bill graduated from Detroit Lakes High School before earning his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from North Dakota State University, where he developed a strong interest in aviation. His engineering career began at Boeing in Seattle, Washington, and he went on to apply his problem-solving talents at several companies around Minnesota, including Honeywell, Storm Systems, Scorpion Snowmobiles (later part of Arctic Cat), and finally Dezurik in Sartell.

Known for his ingenuity and determination—think “square peg in a round hole… failure is not an option” philosophy from a favorite movie Apollo 13—Bill earned his Professional Engineer certification and left a lasting mark on every workplace he touched.

Aviation remained one of Bill’s greatest passions. He earned his pilot’s license, co-owned a small Cessna aircraft, and participated in both the Litchfield Flying Club and the Civil Air Patrol in Brainerd. Many cherished family adventures began in the air, nurtured by his love for flying.

To his grandchildren, he will always be “Grampa” remembered for his constant drive to make things work better or be more efficient. Countless projects, tools, and household items affectionately became “Grampanized,” meaning, improved through his creativity and careful thought. He will forever be the best in math, chess and cribbage!

Central to his life was the strong, always steady influence of his Christian faith. This was shown in so many ways: an invitation to church, or Bible study, or a simple assurance that he would pray for you. In his various church communities, he was happy to be a part of “Crosby Crew”, Messiah family, Bethlehem choir and Praise group among others, he always made sure he had a faith family everywhere. Bill helped provide support for the vision that became Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell.

The Brown family shared a deep love of travel, camping, and experiencing the wonders of the natural world together—gifts Bill believed were gracious blessings from God. He taught his family to respect both God and nature, to work hard, and to find joy on the path set before them.

Bill’s legacy lives on in the family he loved, the lessons he passed down, and the countless ways he made the world around him better.

Now that he is in heaven he no longer has to imagine!

Please join us in sharing memories of Bill in a visitation at 11:00am on Saturday, December 13th, with a Memorial Service at noon followed by a luncheon at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 210 East Maple Avenue, Frazee, Minnesota. We will celebrate Bill’s earthly life and now heavenly presence with some of his favorite songs and bible verses.