Paul Browne

Paul Nolan Browne died June 17, 2017 at his home in Boulder, CO of complications of Parkinson’s disease. His family kissed him on his way. Paul was born on June 19, 1941, the third child of Paul James Browne and Zoe Siegrist Browne. He grew up in Raytown, MO, attending public schools there and graduating from the University of Kansas with a B.S. and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering. After graduation, Paul and his bride, Helen Sandy Browne, moved to Monmouth County, NJ where he worked for Bell Laboratories for several years. During that time Jennifer and Michael were born. In 1978, Paul transferred to AT&T and moved his family to Boulder. Following early retirement, Paul spent several years recruiting engineers for a number of companies before retiring again for good. At the time of his death, he still lived in Boulder.
Paul was the best kind of man. With his outgoing personality, he was an atypical engineer and was highly regarded by his peers. They sought him out to listen, as many people did. Paul was a connector of people who he perceived had common interests and needs. He was a reader of good literature, drawing his material from lists of award winning books, as well as from friends whose opinions he valued. The mountains of Colorado, which Paul hiked and explored with his closest friends, provided many hours of physical, emotional and spiritual challenge and satisfaction.
Paul cared deeply for others, especially those who were part of his Parkinson’s community. He occupied leadership roles there for many years, talked and listened to others who were in the throes of a new diagnosis, and participated in countless clinical trials whose purposes were to find better treatments and ultimately a cure for this cruel disease. His final gift was to donate his brain to the study of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Don Browne. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Helen, and his children Jennifer Findley and Michael Browne, who made him incredibly proud; his son-in-law, Paul Findley, who, through technical talk, could maintain his attention, when others no longer could; his five grandchildren, Sara, Sam, Sean and Ben Findley, and Max Browne; his mother-in-law Carol Sandy; his sister Dianne Watt; and numerous nieces, nephews and other extended family, as well as so many friends who feel his loss deeply.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies, 1325 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 204B Denver, CO 80222, or to TRU Community Care, 2495 Trailridge Drive E, Lafayette, CO 80026.