Harley Ray Brown

Harley R. Brown, age 75, a lifetime resident of Sylvania, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at Flower Hospital. He was born June 9, 1947 in Toledo to Virgil and Ruth (Luke) Brown. Harley graduated from Sylvania High School, Class of 1965 and went on to attend The University of Toledo. After college, he started working at Wickes Lumber, in various roles including managing the deliveries office, retiring after 35+ years of service. Harley also found joy and friendship in his later years working with the Flower Hospital valet service and Federated Auto Parts to stay active. He married the love of his life, Tammy Fox, in the summer of 1978 at Unity Church, Toledo and together they raised their family in a home filled with love and laughter.

Harley will be remembered by some as a quiet man with strong character and a robust love for his family and friends. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, always willing to go the extra mile for others. His grandchildren were his ultimate joy in life.

Harley had many hobbies and interests that kept him busy throughout his life. Some of his favorites were fishing, camping, car shows, being an avid fan of The Ohio State Buckeyes, the Detroit Tigers, and the Detroit Lions to name a few. One of his favorite pastimes was delving into history, especially about the military and World War II. He spent years watching historical shows and reading many books to gain a vast knowledge of military events and the men who led others to both success and tragedy, as history knows it. Because of his ever-developing knowledge, Harley enjoyed watching Jeopardy, giving the correct answers in question form, of course. It seemed there were no boundaries to his knowledge in so many areas.

In his younger years, Harley was the owner of a few classic cars like his Pontiac Firebird and his Pontiac Catalina. He and his wife Tammy spent many weekends strolling through car shows, which brought back some exciting memories.

One of Harley's favorite pastimes was camping. He and Tammy spent many years camping with family and friends at numerous lakes, including Harrison Lake and Buck Lake, and camping all around Ohio and Michigan, including his favorite Interlochen State Park. They recently traveled out west and spent time camping in Utah, Colorado and several places in between. Harley appreciated the beauty that surrounded him during these trips, having a spirit of gratefulness and appreciation for all he had and was able to do in his existence on this earth.

Left to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 44 years, Tammy (Fox) Brown; son, Jordan (Sarah Switzer) Brown; daughters, Lauren (Matthew) Rowland and Emily (Derek) Hoerman; grandchildren, Emmett and Lennon Rowland; siblings, Howard (Sharon) Brown, Darrol (Loretta) Brown, Bonnie Gillingham, and Wayne (Linda) Brown; sister-in-law, Robyn Fox and many nieces, nephews and dear friends.

In addition to his parents, Harley was also preceded in death by his brothers-in-law, Ron Gillingham and Tom Fox, Jr. and his mother & father-in-law, Tom and Joanne Fox.

The family will receive guests Thursday, February 2, 2023 from 4-8:00 pm at Newcomer Funeral Home, West Sylvania Chapel (3655 King Rd. Toledo, Ohio 43617). Funeral Services will begin Friday, February 3, 2023 at 11 am at the funeral home with visitation one hour prior. A brief interment will follow at Toledo Memorial Park, Sylvania, Ohio.

Those wishing to make a memorial contribution in Harley's name are asked to consider donating to the American Cancer Society.

To leave a special message or memory for Harley's Family, please visit the guestbook below.

You may stream the service at 11:00 a.m. on February 3, 2023 by clicking here.