Roll Call Tribute

Stephen Castlebury "Steve" Brown 

October 17, 1963 - February 23, 2025 

Former Vernon, Texas resident Stephen Castlebury Brown, 61, passed away February 23, 2025, in Palmer, Alaska. He was born October 17, 1963, in San Antonio, Texas to Leon and Josephine Brown.

Services will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM at Sullivan Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Eastview Cemetery under the direction of Sullivan Funeral Home, Vernon, Texas.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 10th, 2025 at Lazy Mountain Bible Church in Palmer, Alaska.

Stephen married Eva Cohnen of Miami, Florida, whom he had met while attending Texas A&M University in College Station. Stephen was raised in Vernon and graduated from Vernon Regional Junior College in 1984 with an Associate in Physical Science. Stephen graduated from: Texas A&M 1987 B.S. Recreation and Parks Management, University of Texas San Antonio 1992 M.S. Environmental Science, State University of New York Ph.D. 1999.

Stephen was a Professor of Agricultural Extension at the University of Alaska Fairbanks at the MAT-SU/Copper River Extension Office in Palmer, Alaska. He was a past President and Director of the Alaska State Fair. 

Steve never shied away from a challenge, and used his GIS/GPS expertise to help in real-life situations. When the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred in 2003, NASA tasked him with leading a team to find the shuttle's remains. Steve and his team put their geospatial skills to good use, and found much of these remains submerged in a lake. As sad as this tragedy was, some closure could now occur in this chapter of the Space Shuttle.

Stephen was an Eagle Scout and enjoyed mountaineering and summitted peaks on five different continents to include Denali, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Stok Kangri, Mt. Hood, and many more. Stephen enjoyed drama and acting in community theater and was a paid extra in the 1971 movie “The Last Picture Show” which was filmed in Archer City, TX.

Stephen is survived by his wife of 37 years, Eva Cohnen-Brown, brother Hart Brown and sister-in-law Susan of Norman, Oklahoma, brother McKee Smith and sister-in-law Maria Smith of Coppell, Texas, nephew Joshua Azbell, niece Heather Perez, sister-in-law Jeany Cohnen of Miami Florida, and numerous great nieces and nephews.