Elmer “Wayne” Brown passed into the next life peacefully in his sleep from complications of a traumatic brain injury accident on August 15th, 2011 in Allen, Texas at the age of 72. He was surrounded by his wife and sisters. Wayne will be remembered as a man with a strong work ethic that no one could match. Wayne was born November 7th, 1939 in rural Wellington, Texas, living with kerosene lamps and no electricity for his first few years. He was raised on a McMurtry Ranch, near Alanreed, Texas, then moved to a McMurtry Ranch off the Jericho Highway near Clarendon, Texas. He moved to a T.L. Roach Ranch on the Tascosa Road near Amarillo, Texas in the 8th grade. Wayne attended elementary school in Alanreed and Clarendon, Texas. He attended Clarendon Junior High and Nixson Junior High in Amarillo, Texas, and attended Palo Duro High School in Amarillo for his 10th and 11th grades. Wayne roped his first calf at 8 years old, and won his first Grand Champion Steer award when he was just 9 years old, in 1948. He started to work the rodeo circuit when he was just 13, calf roping, steer wrestling, and bareback bronc riding, to name a few, and he won numerous awards for these events for many years to come. In 8th grade, he lettered in Basketball at Nixon Junior High School, but decided by 11th grade that Rodeo was the life for him, and Wayne pursued it full time. In 1963, Wayne was a Cowboy Extra in the film “Hud”, starring Paul Newman. In 1967, Wayne was thrown from a horse into the front bumper of a pickup truck, had a severe concussion, and through determination had to teach himself how to walk and talk again, and went right back to rodeo the next year. In 1972, he met his wife Tina through their mutual admiration for Quarter Horses, and were officially married in 1981 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Together they ran the 32 acre Future Day Farm in Melissa, TX until 1984, where he was horse trainer, farrier, and craftsman, among numerous other responsibilities. Both decided that the horse business wasn’t in their best interests, and in 1978, “Redman” Wayne earned his commercial driver’s license, and he began delivering important loads of every kind, crossing the country from coast to coast in what could have possibly equaled hundreds of times. In 1991, the couple settled in McKinney, TX. Wayne retired from commercial driving in 2000. In their later years, the couple travelled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. They were members of the frequent travelers clubs of Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Holland America Cruise Lines. Wayne was also known for his master grill skills, and steaks were his specialty. Wayne led a long and difficult life, and, with the old saying, if life gives you lemons, you make lemonade… well, Wayne would do just that. He usually forgot the sugar in the lemonade, but not only could he make it, but he could also make the lemonade stand from scratch without instructions, and it would be the strongest lemonade stand in the state. Wayne survived and recovered from numerous accidents, as well as Multiple Myloma, but a fall on May 3rd, 2011, resulted in a traumatic brain injury from which he could not recover. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer “Skeet” and Eileen Brown of Groom, Texas. He is survived by his wife Annabelle “Tina” Brown of McKinney, TX, step-son John Goddard and wife Vicky of Ponder, TX, step-daughter Jennifer Fermaint and husband Daniel of Plano, TX, and their families. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 3, 2011, at 11:00 a.m., at Family Worship Center, 5780 Virginia Parkway, McKinney, Texas 75071, with Pastor Charlie Tuttle officiating. The family would like to ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his memory to either Basenji Rescue and Transport (basenjirescue.org), the SPCA of Texas (SPCA.org - specifically the McKinney Branch), the Ranch Hand Rescue (RanchHandRescue.org), Samaritan Inn of McKinney, or Family Worship Center of McKinney for youth scholarships.