Kellis Floyd Brown

Memorial services for Kellis Floyd Brown, 83, of Sperry, OK, were held Friday, July 5, 2024, at First Baptist Church in Sperry, OK. Brother David McCracken officiated. 

Kellis was born on August 6, 1940, in Stillwater, OK, to Arthur Miles Brown and Ollie Izola (Webb) Brown. He passed away peacefully at Clarehouse on June 1, 2024, in Tulsa, OK, after a sixteen-month journey in hospice care. 

He was the youngest of all his siblings and grew up in Perkins, OK. As a child he had a few pets that he remembered fondly, including his dogs Jigs, Freckles and a duck who thought he was a chicken. He enjoyed playing sports and lettered at Perkins-Tryon High School in baseball and basketball. He met the love of his life, Dorothy Lavarne Brown, when he moved to Tulsa. He found her through his oldest sister, Alice, who thought he should meet this pretty, little girl at the church. Dorothy was a senior in high school when they met and was actively in the Sperry High School Band. Kellis always loved the picture of Dorothy in her band uniform referring to her fondly in the picture as “his little toy soldier”. Dorothy graduated May 10, 1963, and they were married the next day on May 11, 1963. Then the next year, on August 17, 1964, Kellis and Dorothy became parents to their daughter, Debbie Sue Brown. Debbie was her daddy’s girl and continued to be for almost 60 years. He enjoyed taking her fishing, teaching her how to play rummy, 8-ball, and Monopoly, and singing and playing his guitar for her. As a young adult, he also played industrial league fast pitch softball, played and coached church league slow pitch softball and church league basketball. When he felt he was too old to play, Kellis coached basketball as a volunteer at Cleveland Junior High, Saints Peter & Paul Catholic School and Foster Junior High, all in Tulsa for 6 years. Kellis was always a hard and dedicated worker. He worked at Tyler Dawson Supply as a pipe yard worker and driver for thirteen years, Bush Compression as inventory control clerk and sales for fifteen years, and American Airlines as a stock clerk for fourteen years before retiring in 2002. He was also a devoted husband, father, and grandfather; he was married to his wife, Dorothy for 46 years before her death in 2009, and raised his daughter, Debbie into adulthood and saw her marry the love of her life, Don. He spent special time with his grandchildren, Kelli and Kirk, as he watched them grow up. Kellis loved to sing about his Savior and share his testimony. He led worship since he was 18 years old at several churches and was known for singing his favorite song, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”. In recent years, anytime Kellis would have the opportunity to share his favorite song with a visitor including his hospice staff, he would break into “His Eye is on the Sparrow”. He loved to sing Southern Gospel. He loved 4-part harmony worship music and even sang tenor in a couple of different local Southern Gospel quartets. The first one was “The King’s Quartet” with friends, Bob Martin, Betty Prentice, Guy Scott, and Gary Eddings which sang at Sperry First Baptist Church for special occasions, funerals and 5th Sunday Sings. The second one and longest time together was “Boundless Love” with his friends Bob Martin, Jerry Martin, Mary West, Bill West, Don Thompson, and Bill McComb. They sang at many different events, singing at local churches and festivals. The lead singer, Bob Martin, was one of his closest friends and sang together for over 50 years. Some of his favorite activities were golfing, fishing, woodworking, and leathercrafting. In the last few years, his favorite activities included joke competitions with Don and Kirk, listening online to Kelli perform at her college football games, concerts and recitals, and talking to his grandkids and their friends about life. He enjoyed whistling his favorite tunes in the afternoon while sitting in his recliner and watching his favorite game shows – “Wheel of Fortune”, “The Price is Right” and “Deal or No Deal”. He loved cheering on his Sperry Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and OSU Cowboys. Above all, Kellis was a man who loved the Lord. He knew the blessings in his life and thanked God every day for them. He practiced the fruits of the spirit in private and in the presence of his peers, and always made a joyful noise to the Lord until about 3 days before he passed.

He is survived by his daughter, Debbie Garrison and favorite son-in-law (but called him son), Don of Sperry; granddaughter and “Sweetie Pie”, Kelli Hine and husband, Londin of Weatherford; grandson and “Bestest Buddy", Kirk Garrison of Sperry; brother, Darrel Brown, of Sand Springs; sisters-in-law, Bonnie Beaty and husband, Vernon, Jr. of Owasso, and Irene LeMarr of Canyon, TX; his dear blessing and companion, Devonna Smith of Owasso; several nieces, nephews and their family members; several other loved ones that called him "Papa", including his Sperry Band kids, the Enhabit Hospice Family and the staff at Clarehouse Tulsa; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife and dearest blessing of 46 years, Dorothy Lavarne Brown of Sperry; parents, Arthur M. Brown & Ollie Izola Brown of Perkins; brothers, Donald Brown and wife, Wanda of Stillwater, and Arthur E. “Bud” Brown and wife, Ruth of Perkins; sister-in-law, Gail Brown, of Sapulpa; sisters, Alice Rau and husband, Jim of Pensacola, OK, Marguerite Groves and husband, Paul of Tulsa, Emma Carol Brown (died as an infant), and Phylis Ann Brown (stillborn); mother and father-in-law – Ruby and Lois LeMarr of Sperry; brothers-in-law, Bob LeMarr of Sperry and Jim LeMarr of Odessa, TX; several other nieces, nephews, family members, and friends that he missed dearly for years.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that everyone please consider a donation to Clarehouse, 7617 S. Mingo Rd., Tulsa, OK 74133. 

“Welcome Home is more than a greeting: it’s a cozy feeling that immediately surrounds you at Clarehouse. When a loved one needs more help than is available at home, they provide 24/7 care like a family member would, with each person’s hospice agency providing medical case management. “

That is exactly what they did for Kellis the last few days of his life. He was treated with kindness, gentleness and dignity during his brief stay. Thank God for the workers at Clarehouse Tulsa. 

Arrangements and services were entrusted to Johnson Funeral Home, Sperry.

Online condolences to the family can be made at johnsonsperry.com.