Charles Howard Brown, better known as Charlie or Coach Brown, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2026, surrounded by family. He was born in Crescent, Oklahoma, on March 17, 1937, to Laura Gladys Williams Brown and William Jacob Brown Sr.

Charlie graduated from Crescent High School in 1955. His love of sports that carried through his life took root there - where he participated in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was proud to be the starting quarterback and defensive end for three years on a football team that won a state championship in 1954.

After earning a football scholarship to Southwestern State Teachers College in Weatherford, Charlie transferred to Central State College in Edmond, where he graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Science, with an emphasis in chemistry and physics. He was awarded five National Science Foundation grants that allowed him to attend Texas A&M and Bowdoin College before earning a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1967. He was especially proud of the fact that he had paid his own way through college.

All this set the stage for a 65 - year career as a teacher, coach, and administrator in private independent schools, beginning at Casady School in Oklahoma City in 1960 and later at Holland Hall in Tulsa in 1965, where he would spend the next 60 years.

During his career, Charlie served in a myriad of capacities including head football and baseball coach, chemistry and physics teacher, athletics director, dean of students, president of the athletic conference, summer program director, interim advancement director, and director of stewardship. His work influenced thousands of young lives and brought him great satisfaction and joy. He often said he was also incredibly blessed to work alongside and mentor extraordinary colleagues throughout his career.

Charlie felt his greatest contribution to Holland Hall was his work attracting student-athletes to the school and the relationships he built with them and their families. He was extremely honored when two of his colleagues in the advancement office established the Charlie Brown Endowment for Financial Aid, ensuring that his work and commitment to education would live on in perpetuity.

Charlie did not consider himself a traveler, but he and his wife, Nancy, enjoyed trips across the country to see Broadway plays and National Parks and to visit friends and relatives in Maine, Seattle, Santa Fe, San Francisco, and throughout 42 states. He was not averse to dancing and having a good time. Everyone loved Charlie. He delighted in golf outings, music festivals, football bowl trips, and family gatherings. Thirty years of annual “Guys Weekends” spent with family, competing in every sport, created Hall of Fame memories.

Those family events created countless memories. It seemed Charlie never sat down except to watch his children and grandchildren perform in whatever events they chose, celebrate their college graduations, and witness their beautiful weddings. Their smiles brought him immense joy.

The highlights of Charlie’s professional accomplishments were many. He won seven football and five baseball Southwest Preparatory Conference championships and was honored as an outstanding chemistry teacher by the Oklahoma Science Academy. He was inducted into both the Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame and the Holland Hall Athletic Hall of Fame. Holland Hall honored his 34 years of football coaching achievements with a retirement dinner at the TU Reynolds Center, and the school’s football field was named in his honor.

Charlie was also named a Distinguished Alumnus by his high school. He wrote and published a book titled The Lucky One, intended for his family and alumni friends, and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tulsa World sports staff at its annual sports awards dinner.

Charlie is survived by his loving wife and partner, Nancy, shared adventures with him for 38 years, and his children David Brown and wife Kathy, Diana Tatro and husband Scott, Randy Brown, Kyle Brown and wife Kaylynn, along with his stepchildren Wendy Wilk Markarian and husband Tom, David Wilk and wife Amy and Dan Wilk as well as 13 grand children and 8 great grandchildren. He is also survived by brother Bill Brown and wife Martie. In lieu of flowers, and in honor of Charlie’s lifelong dedication to the importance of education for all, the family requests that donations be made to the Charlie Brown Endowment for Financial Aid at Holland Hall School.