Allen Norman Brown

BROWN, Allen Norman - Age 80, of Swartz Creek, passed away Thursday, March 20, 2025. Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Monday, March 24, 2025 at Sharp Funeral Homes, Miller Road Chapel, 8138 Miller Road, Swartz Creek (The service will be live streamed and can be viewed via Allen's obituary page at www.sharpfuneralhomes.com). Fr. Jay Gantz officiating. Burial at a later date in Great Lakes Cemetery in Holly. Visitation will be held at the funeral home Sunday from 3-6 PM and Monday from 10:00 AM until the time of the service.

Allen was born June 26, 1944, in Detroit, MI and moved to Onaway, MI as a young child with his family. He spent his youth between Onaway and Cheboygan, graduating from Cheboygan high school in 1962. He met and married Linda Kay Robert in 1967: they had two daughters, Kristee and Allison.

Allen was a very driven and goal orientated man which all started as a child. He loved to tell stories of delivering milk in glass bottles to porches during the early morning hours with his father Julius. He would share antics of the school pranks he would play, sneaking out of the house at night and trying to get back in before his parents could find out and, of course, how when Michigan implemented driving points in the 1960’s he thought the goal was to get as many points as possible! After he graduated, he spent some time in the Merchant Marines and then moved to Flint where he worked at Chevy. After meeting Linda, he joined the US military and served in the Army from 1967-1970 and was stationed in Germany. Linda was able to join him on base in Europe and they used his leave time to travel throughout the continent. In 1970 they returned to the states and settled in Flint. Always looking to improve his station and learn new things, he became a journeyman Tool & Die Maker at the Fisher Body plant in Grand Blanc and remained there until his retirement after more than 30 years. Continuing to look for new opportunities, he was selected as one of the Original 99 that GM selected to explore and develop Saturn, allowing him the opportunity to travel to world class manufacturing locations all around the globe seeking out the best processes for starting a fresh new car company.

When it came to his family Allen loved to brag about the accomplishments of his family. If you knew him you knew that he put both his daughters through college at MSU and hence his love for the Spartans began. He enjoyed cruising Back to the Bricks in his SSR and loved to hear stories of his grandsons’ playing sports or getting into trouble. He was so happy to hear when Allison was carrying on the Brown’s tradition of having twins, as he was a twin himself. During his retirement years he and Linda traveled the country on a mission to win at video poker or old-fashioned slot machines at casinos in many different states. His daughters like to describe him as a cantankerous, grumpy, and frugal old man who would share his opinions and thoughts whether asked or not. Since Linda passed in 2022 it has been his wish to rejoin her up in heaven.

He is survived by his daughters, Kristee (Laik) Mahler and Allison (Bob) Pelton; grandsons Walker, Reid and Bishop Pelton; sisters Michelle Barrette (his twin) and Debra Gapczynski; brothers Kevin (Jackie) Brown, Kyle (Dianna) Brown and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Julius and Marva Brown; his wife, Linda; Brothers Marvin Brown, Kim Brown and Kurt Brown. Tributes may be shared at www.sharpfuneralhomes.com.