1935
Thomas
2014
Thomas W. Brown
July 30, 1935 — October 16, 2014
Tom Brown was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 30, 1935 to Margaret Mills Brown and Wayne Brown. He was raised by a wonderful caring mother with the help of maternal grandparents Jesse and Hanora Fitzgerald Mills, and an extended family of aunts and uncles.
Raised in a farming community, he learned the value of friendship and teamwork. He graduated from LewisUniversity in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science Degree and married his lifelong sweetheart, Rosemary (Minnie) Bellis. Their family grew to five children. Tom was always in business and started his own business in 1979. He retired in 2004 from his business.
As Mayor of St. Peters, Missouri from 1984 to 2004, Tom Brown was able to keep his first campaign promise that the city would build a Senior Citizens Center. He called it 'The Mature Peoples Play House'. He and many volunteers raised the first walls. He then went upon the task of his dream, to build a 'ModelCity'. During Brown's tenure, the city's population more than tripled and in 2008 it was named the 'best place to live' in the State of Missouri'¦and the 60th nation wide by 'Money Magazine'.
In 1985, Brown and Mel Wetter, who was then Mayor of St. Charles, ended years of border fighting between the two cities. Brown envisioned that the old 115 Bridge in St. Charles, when replaced, could be extended and become a northern industrial highway corridor stretching from Interstate I-270 in north St. Louis to I-70 in St. Peters. That dream was realized when the 370 corridor was completed in 1997. Today, Highway 370 is one of the fastest growing, mixed use corridors in the State of Missouri. The highway handles over 60,000 vehicles every day and since its completion, it has opened thousands of acres of development and public use on both sides of the Missouri River. The area has experienced growth of more than six million square feel of new development.
In the early 1990's Mayor Brown led the successful effort to build what is today referred to as the 'community's crown jewel' the St. Peters Rec-Plex. Brown successfully convinced leaders in the metropolitan St. Louis area to help raise the necessary funds to add an Olympic size swimming and diving facility to the Rec-Plex, which opened to the U.S. Olympic Festival's aquatic events in 1994. For its ten year anniversary, the Rec-Plex played host to the 2004 U.S. Olympic Diving Trials. In 2007, the Rec-Plex nearly doubled in size to 236,000 square feet with an expansion that added the Rec-Plex South Facility and tripled the space for workout facilities in the original Rec-Plex building.
As Mayor, Tom Brown formed the City's first Industrial Development Board which consisted of leaders in and outside the city who were given the task of making St. Peters 'business friendly'. During his tenure, the county's largest shopping center, Mid Rivers Mall was completed.
After many years of flooding, the levee safe guarding Old Town St. Peters, was completed.
Mid Rivers Mall Drive was completed to Highway 94 opening up to what you see today, as a major flowing roadway.
Tom Brown has been called the person who 'Built St. Peters'.
He and his wife of 55 years are life long members of All Saints Catholic parish in St. Peters, Missouri.
Tom was always willing to help anyone who needed his help.
He died on Thursday, October 16, 2014 in Henderson, Nevada.
Tom is survived by his wife, Rosemary 'Minnie' Brown; his children, Tim (Michelle) Brown, Mark (Maureen) Brown, Linda (John) Brown-Didion, Peggy (Steve) Geldien, and David (Patricia) Brown; his grandchildren, Jessie Brown, Sarah Brown, Rachael Brown, Heather Didion, Lisa Didion, Macey Elser, Allie Geldien, Brennen Geldien, Isaac Brown, Margaret Brown, TW Brown, Emma Jean Mak, Vico Mak, and Maggie Maloney; his great-grandchildren, Will Brown, Bella and Lucas Hutchison, Reese Hagger, Mason and Ethan Elser.
Services: The family is being served by The Baue Funeral and Memorial Center, 3950 West Clay Street, St. Charles, MO. A visitation will be held 9:00 '“ 10:00AM Saturday, November 1, 2014 at All Saints Catholic Church, 7 McMenamy Road, St. Peters, MO. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated following the visitation at 10:00 AM. A luncheon reception will then follow. Masses are preferred or memorials may be made to St Peters Kiwanis.
Raised in a farming community, he learned the value of friendship and teamwork. He graduated from LewisUniversity in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science Degree and married his lifelong sweetheart, Rosemary (Minnie) Bellis. Their family grew to five children. Tom was always in business and started his own business in 1979. He retired in 2004 from his business.
As Mayor of St. Peters, Missouri from 1984 to 2004, Tom Brown was able to keep his first campaign promise that the city would build a Senior Citizens Center. He called it 'The Mature Peoples Play House'. He and many volunteers raised the first walls. He then went upon the task of his dream, to build a 'ModelCity'. During Brown's tenure, the city's population more than tripled and in 2008 it was named the 'best place to live' in the State of Missouri'¦and the 60th nation wide by 'Money Magazine'.
In 1985, Brown and Mel Wetter, who was then Mayor of St. Charles, ended years of border fighting between the two cities. Brown envisioned that the old 115 Bridge in St. Charles, when replaced, could be extended and become a northern industrial highway corridor stretching from Interstate I-270 in north St. Louis to I-70 in St. Peters. That dream was realized when the 370 corridor was completed in 1997. Today, Highway 370 is one of the fastest growing, mixed use corridors in the State of Missouri. The highway handles over 60,000 vehicles every day and since its completion, it has opened thousands of acres of development and public use on both sides of the Missouri River. The area has experienced growth of more than six million square feel of new development.
In the early 1990's Mayor Brown led the successful effort to build what is today referred to as the 'community's crown jewel' the St. Peters Rec-Plex. Brown successfully convinced leaders in the metropolitan St. Louis area to help raise the necessary funds to add an Olympic size swimming and diving facility to the Rec-Plex, which opened to the U.S. Olympic Festival's aquatic events in 1994. For its ten year anniversary, the Rec-Plex played host to the 2004 U.S. Olympic Diving Trials. In 2007, the Rec-Plex nearly doubled in size to 236,000 square feet with an expansion that added the Rec-Plex South Facility and tripled the space for workout facilities in the original Rec-Plex building.
As Mayor, Tom Brown formed the City's first Industrial Development Board which consisted of leaders in and outside the city who were given the task of making St. Peters 'business friendly'. During his tenure, the county's largest shopping center, Mid Rivers Mall was completed.
After many years of flooding, the levee safe guarding Old Town St. Peters, was completed.
Mid Rivers Mall Drive was completed to Highway 94 opening up to what you see today, as a major flowing roadway.
Tom Brown has been called the person who 'Built St. Peters'.
He and his wife of 55 years are life long members of All Saints Catholic parish in St. Peters, Missouri.
Tom was always willing to help anyone who needed his help.
He died on Thursday, October 16, 2014 in Henderson, Nevada.
Tom is survived by his wife, Rosemary 'Minnie' Brown; his children, Tim (Michelle) Brown, Mark (Maureen) Brown, Linda (John) Brown-Didion, Peggy (Steve) Geldien, and David (Patricia) Brown; his grandchildren, Jessie Brown, Sarah Brown, Rachael Brown, Heather Didion, Lisa Didion, Macey Elser, Allie Geldien, Brennen Geldien, Isaac Brown, Margaret Brown, TW Brown, Emma Jean Mak, Vico Mak, and Maggie Maloney; his great-grandchildren, Will Brown, Bella and Lucas Hutchison, Reese Hagger, Mason and Ethan Elser.
Services: The family is being served by The Baue Funeral and Memorial Center, 3950 West Clay Street, St. Charles, MO. A visitation will be held 9:00 '“ 10:00AM Saturday, November 1, 2014 at All Saints Catholic Church, 7 McMenamy Road, St. Peters, MO. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated following the visitation at 10:00 AM. A luncheon reception will then follow. Masses are preferred or memorials may be made to St Peters Kiwanis.
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