Peter "Pete" D. Brown

Pete Brown, 65, of Hastings, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully at his home on July 23, 2022. Pete was born November 8, 1956, to Walter and Grace Brown (Thomson) in Portsmouth, Virginia. As a military brat, Pete lived in North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Georgia, before his family settled in Dale City, Virginia in 1969. Pete graduated from Gar-Field Senior High School and later attended Computer Learning School. In 1987, he moved to Sperryville, Virginia where he lived at the base of Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park for more than twenty years. Pete worked various jobs during his life, including being an EMT, but he most enjoyed being an over-the-road truck driver. In 2016, he decided it was time to retire. Pete spent a few years in Queen Creek, Arizona before moving to Hastings, Minnesota in 2018. Known to his family and friends as someone who marched to the beat of his own drum, Pete was never afraid to express his views, enjoyed a good debate, as well as hunting, motorcycle riding, and target shooting with friends at the range. Often the first to arrive and the last to leave at family or other gatherings, Pete liked to shoot the breeze with anybody who was willing to listen. At his last home at Oak Ridge Apartments in Hastings, Pete was known for always saying “howdy” when joining fellow smokers on the terrace. Having never completely adjusted from the hours he kept while on the road, his friends always questioned whether they were meeting “day Pete” or “night Pete” on any given day. It just depended on when and what time of day he would sleep. Pete was preceded in his death by his father, Walter A. Brown, Jr., and his uncle Malcom Thomson. He is survived by his mother, Grace D. Brown; siblings, Ken (Nancy) Brown, Phyllis (Bob) Langenfeld, Beth (Tom) Wanamaker and Steve (Kelle) Brown; his favorite and only aunt, Fai Thomson; a cousin, and numerous nephews, nieces, great nieces, great nephews, and friends. Per Pete’s wishes, the family will not be holding a memorial service. Instead, they will gather to share stories, laugh, and celebrate Pete, and then spread his ashes where he was always most at home – in nature, including in his beloved Shenandoah.