Dr. Brian Krown, 64, of Winthrop, passed away at his mountain home on Nov. 10, 2014, after a courageous two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Sherrie Krown, his sister Diane (Richard) Myers, and eight nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Eligius and Goldie Forray Krojniewski of South Bend, Indiana.
Brian was born and grew up in South Bend. As a teenager he worked as an usher at Notre Dame Stadium, an experience that contributed to his lifelong support of the Fighting Irish and an abiding love for collegiate sports.
He attended Purdue University, where he met his wife and lifelong companion, Sherrie, at a Saturday morning organic chemistry class. Their relationship flourished and yet he still managed to graduate Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in microbiology.
Brian and Sherrie then moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where he enrolled in the School of Optometry at Indiana University. During his final semester of optometry school, they ran to the courthouse and married, on Dec. 28, 1981, so Sherrie could claim him as a tax deduction — a testimonial to his practical nature. After graduation, the Krowns moved to Lafayette, Indiana, where Brian practiced as a doctor of optometry for 30 years. He took great joy and pride in his work — his easy, cheerful manner made both patients and staff comfortable and loyal.
Brian’s passions were many and varied. He was an avid bicyclist, riding thousands of miles with friends across North America and Europe. He will be remembered not only as a strong rider, but for his humor and helpfulness on the road; many were beneficiaries of his roadside repair expertise and generosity — a good guy to have around when you’ve blown a spoke!
He was an enthusiastic Nordic and alpine skier, backpacker and hiker, exploring terrain far and wide with Sherrie, always eager to put in a hard day and happy to enjoy a beer afterwards. These adventures took them many places, but none so enduring in their affection as the North Cascade Mountains in Washington state. From their first trip in the 1980s until they moved there full-time in 2012 after his cancer diagnosis, Brian found great joy in the Methow Valley, whether on a mountain bike, skiing the trails, bird watching, or more recently, simply being immersed in the beauty all around him.
Brian’s perpetual curiosity was evident — he read widely and enjoyed learning new things from friends and strangers. He loved good food and gathering with his friends. He had a great passion for music — from folk to the Dead to avant-garde jazz — and fondly recounted the many shows he and Sherrie attended through the years. Brian was an excellent barista, making the morning espresso for his grateful wife and friends, and preferred an approach with lots of hand grinding and slow pouring. And last but not least, he adored the beloved Labrador retrievers that he had over the years and spoiled every last one of them rotten.
Brian enjoyed the love and support of so many family and friends during the course of his illness that the family does not feel the need for a memorial service. Brian’s ashes will find their final resting place in the mountains and valleys that fed his soul and gave him strength to fight the cancer for so many months. We will all miss him greatly.
