On December 8, 2014, one of the kindest men I ever had the privilege of knowing and playing with passed away at his home in Chilliwack, BC. Bob Brown was the man who kept The Moonliters swinging for nearly 30 years. Besides being the drummer for The Moonliters, he also played the drum kit for the Cascadia Wind Ensemble. Since he was a well-known and respected radio broadcaster, it was also natural that he was the announcer and show script writer for the bands.
Bob performing with the Cascadia Wind Ensemble for what would be his last show, June 14, 2014, in Maple Ridge, BC. Photo by M. Margison
Sadly I only got to know Bob during the last year of his life, but I am grateful for the time that I did get to spend with him. I learned a lot from him, and really enjoyed his sense of humour and outlook on life.
When his wife Joanne was at rehearsal a couple of weeks ago, she spoke with me about Bob’s other loves. It was then that I realized how much he and I had in common that had nothing to do with music. His search and rescue work, and his love of aviation were two other areas in which our experiences had intersected.
Today at 2:00 pm, a celebration of Bob’s life will be held at the Woodlawn Mt. Cheam Funeral Home in Chilliwack. A few hours later there will be a private function, during which The Moonliters will be performing.
It will be a special show, because members who played with Bob during his nearly 30 years with The Moonliters will join us during the course of the performance. Former band members from far and wide are flying in to attend this special event. I suspect there won’t be a dry eye in the house.
Thank you for your remembrances, Helen.
The picture is wonderful and thank you to M. Margison for sharing it.
Thank you as well to the many people who came out to remember and celebrate Bob’s life with us and to the Moonliters for their wonderful performance later in the day.
The family much appreciated everyone’s contribution to the day.
With warm regards,
Joanne Brown and family
My heartfelt condolences on your loss Joanne. I’m hoping that since I’ve seen you last that you’ve the days have gotten just even slightly easier.
It was my privilege to play with Bob in both the Moonliters and Cascadia. I will always remember the talks he and I had; how hard he fought; and what he told me about his “to do” list. His outlook on the future is what I always admired about Bob. He was a remarkable man, with a remarkable spirit.
Speaking for myself, it was a honour to play at the private function later. The band most definitely has a family-like feel. As one of the newest members of the Moonliters, I was very happy to be able to have been the one to offer their chair so David could play the 2nd set, since he too is part of the family.
Please know that you are in my thoughts. Send me an email or call me if you’d like to talk or get together some time.
Take good care of yourself…helen