Richard Eugene Brower

Richard E. Brower, 57, passed away at his home on October 12th, 2016. He was born January 22nd, 1959 in Topeka, Kansas. Graveside services will be held at Rochester Cemetery on Friday, October 21st, 2016 at 11:00 am. He is survived by his wife Debra Brower-Drescher; Daughters Richelle, Richinda Brower (Joshua Platt), Rebecca Brower, and stepdaughter Trinity Drescher; Brother Robert (Robin) Brower, Sisters Laurie (Nick) Ortiz-Brower, and Cindy Leggitt-Brower.
He is preceded in death by his mother Margaret Brower, father Robert Brower, Uncle Jack Stanley, Great Aunt Margaret Stanley, and many other dear friends and family. Burial in his family's plot at Rochester Cemetery was very important to Richard and had been requested numerous times.
These details and facts were not the true essence of who Richard was. He was, to say the least, a colorful and one of a kind individual.
His childhood had numerous adventures and business endeavors. One of these consisted of getting up early for school to buy donuts he could sell to the other school children, at a significant profit. His money making endeavors did not stop there. He always found a way to turn his last dollar into a day's wages. From making reflective address signs, painting houses, washing windows, and repairing watches, Richard regularly had side work. Aside from working for himself, he had nearly every job known to man at one point or another. As a natural born salesman, Richard excelled at commission jobs, one of which being a shoe salesman. He also loved people, and though it kept him away from his family at times, driving buses for King of the Road would always put smiles on the faces of eager vacationers that he toured around the country. Other traveling jobs included driving for various semi-truck companies and cab driving. Another duty Richard was proud of was his service in the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed in San Diego, California, at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot; 1st Division, Third Battalion, Platoon 3040. Though his term of service was short, he was honorably discharged and proudly wore USMC attire for the rest of his life. He exuberantly told stories of his days on and off base, his favorite activities being Pugil Sticks and Hand-To-Hand Combat Training. Both of which he proudly excelled in.
When Richard wasn't working he always found time to enjoy life, go on adventures, and have fun. He played trumpet in his younger years, was an avid Billiard player, loved magic tricks and sleight of hand, harmless pranks to give strangers a smile, fishing with friends and family, walking all over town for both exercise and pleasure, and telling tall tales (many of which turned out to have more truth than not). Traveling called to him. He could wake up one day, decide to go, and by that evening his plan was in place. He would then roll back into town days, weeks, or months later with stories of the road. One such memory was a trip to the Pacific Northwest in a car purchased for one dollar. Almost out of funds and needing fuel, he happened to see a lottery ticket machine. Richard always picked lotto tickets by 'which one looked good'. He saw his pick, a Santa Clause ticket. With no money to purchase a ticket, he said "What can Santa Clause do for me?" and pushed the button. Miraculously a ticket came out! That lucky ticket went on to be a $100 winner- enough for his travels to continue on.
Richard loved his daughters very much and always made sure they knew it. He was there when car troubles hit, to teach fishing 'tricks' (such as using a baby carrot and straw with Ramen Noodle Powder in it), to show how to buy the perfect toaster oven, drive a stick shift, open up from being shy, and perform random acts of kindness. He loved unconditionally and only asked for honesty in return, no matter what it was. Later in life adventure was replaced with a dedication to family and taking care of the needs of Debra, Rebecca, and Trinity. Unfortunately, a disability had taken its toll and constant pain kept him out of the workforce. Still, he always managed to find a way for his family to get by.
While Richard loved many things, one thing he did not like was technology. He was very concerned with keeping his life private. He never owned a computer, rarely used one, and never used a smartphone. He valued the simplicity of life without all of these devices and gadgets.
These stories and memories are a fraction of a life well lived, full of adventures, excitement, danger, and devotion to his friends and family. I am positive that he is okay now and has made it beyond our earthly confines. He would want us to know that he can now continue on free of pain with his friends, family, and beloved pets by his side. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please perform random acts of kindness on Richard's behalf. We would also like to thank Davidson Funeral Home for their compassion and understanding during this unexpected time of loss.