This obituary was originally published on Rogers & Breece Funeral Home.
Richard Wayne (Rick) Brown, Jr. was born on October 16th, 1974, to Richard Wayne Brown and Donna Brown Rachels, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He passed away at the age of 49 on June 5th, 2024, surrounded by family, in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Rick was a talented athlete from a young age, dominating little leagues and throwing no-hitters across Cumberland County while towering over other kids on the basketball court. His love of sports also translated into a lifelong fandom of University of North Carolina sports, especially basketball. There weren’t many UNC games he didn’t watch, and you could always find him in a Tarheel blue tee shirt and hat.
As a teenager, Rick found a passion for music, diving especially deeply into 80’s bands like REM, but he listened to all genres and few people knew more music trivia. He was also an artist in his own right, playing guitar and writing music and poetry — even if he would rarely let anyone hear his work. Rick attended Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville.
Later in life, Rick found his soul mate in Amy Highsmith. They built a life together in Fayetteville and Omaha, Nebraska. In 2011, they welcomed their daughter, Lily, into the world and named her after Rick’s grandmother. Lily was Rick’s whole life, and he would have told you that being a father was the most important thing he ever did.
Rick was a dedicated father, brother, and son, and will be greatly missed. He is preceded in death by his mother Donna Brown Rachels and his partner Amy Highsmith. He is survived by his father Richard Wayne Brown Sr. (Kathy) of Fayetteville, sister Robyn Elizabeth Brown (Nick) of Selma, brothers John William (Will) Brown (Kayla) of Washington D.C., Jacob (Jake) Alexander Brown (Brittany) of Atlanta, and daughter Lily Gabrielle Brown of Fayetteville.
There will be a memorial service held at Cedar Falls Baptist Church on July 6th. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Cumberland County Society of Autism.