David Duane Drown of Marshall passed away on Friday, December 18th, 2020 at the age of 81. After a courageous battle with cancer, he died peacefully at home with his beloved wife Carol and children (Pam, Pat, Greg, and Joe) by his side. A walk-through visitation will take place on Sunday, December 28, 2020, from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Horvath Remembrance Center in Marshall. A private family service will take place on Monday at 10:00 a.m. at the remembrance center. Interment with military honors will take place at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Marshall. Masks are required and social distancing guidelines will be strictly followed.
David was born on January 11, 1939 in Minneota to Wilbur E. and Mary Ellen “Sis” (Kiley) Drown. He attended school in Minneota, graduating from Minneota High School in 1957. David served in the United States Army from 1960-1967 during both the Cuban Conflict and Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged in 1967. As a young man David learned how to work hard and succeed at whatever job he took. In 1969 he began a long and successful 35-year career as a Registered Representative with Equitable Life Assurance of NY. David earned many awards during his career with the Equitable including the Million Dollar Round Table, The National Leader Corp for ten year, leading to being inducted into the Equitable Hall of Fame in 1987, the Equitable’s highest award you can earn. David married Carol Ann (Woessner) on December 2nd, 1978 in Redwood Falls – to that union they added their four children: Pam, Pat, Greg, and Joe. David loved all sports, especially golf, but would happily watch anything with a ball! He will be fondly remembered by his grandchildren as “golfing grandpa.” David was an avid supporter of the SMSU Mustangs since its second year in existence, serving as the Booster Club president and on the SMSU Board of Directors. In 1985 David co-founded the SSU Celebrity Golf Classic with Carol and his “partner in crime” Merle Krull and has been a standard bearer of SMSU athletics fundraisers. In recognition of everything he and Carol did to make the tournament a success, the Booster Club re-named it the David and Carol Drown Golf Classic to Benefit the Mustang Booster Club in 2012. David’s support of the SMSU Athletics program was often reciprocated by the university. He was Inducted into the SMSU Hall of Honor in 1996, was an SMSU Honorary Alumni, and awarded the NSIC Volunteer of the Year in 2014. Equal to his love of sports was his love of family and friends. He was fondly known by his friends as “dad” and he frequently gave those closest to him a nickname that made sense only to him. His was a life well lived and he will be remembered for his kindness, loyalty, generosity of spirit and as a “man of his word.” He will be lovingly missed by all of us.
David is survived by his wife Carol Ann Drown, children Pamela (Kevin) Larson, Patrick Drown, Gregory Drown, Joseph (Nicole) Woessner, grandchildren Daniel (Monica) Larson, Kayla Larson, Abigail Drown, Jacob Woessner, Andrew Woessner, Kassaday Summers, Krimzon Summers, and Chambree Woessner, and great grandsons Hawken David Larson and Riven Keith Larson. He is also survived by siblings Bill Drown, Dee Paradis, Tom (Sandi) Drown, Mary (Chuck) Marcotte, Marcia Johnson, John (Pat) Drown, Dennis Drown, Dorothy (Randy) Reddig, sisters-in-law Kay Drown, Carol Drown, and Margie (Bob) Drown, and in-laws Marion Bertrand, and Marlyn (Judy) Sellner. David was preceded in death by his father Wilbur E. Drown, mother Mary Ellen “Sis” Drown, siblings Bob Drown, Dick Drown, Joe Drown, Daniel Drown, Jim Drown, MaryAnn Drown, Phil Drown, and Chuck Drown, and in-laws Sharlene Drown, Mel Drown, Ann Drown, Bob Johnson, Bert Bertrand.
A special thank you to Mindy and Lynn and the staff at Prairie Home Hospice. Your compassionate and loving care for our husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather was a priceless gift to all of us. Memorials can be made to Prairie Home Hospice and Community Care of Marshall MN and Holy Redeemer Church of Marshall.