Gary Wayne Brown was born on April 5, 1960 to Orlis Brown Sr. and Idella Mae Brown (Sharp) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He was the third child and son of the ten children born to the proud parents.  Gary would spend his toddler years growing up in Sand Springs and Buford Colony, Oklahoma.  His formal years were spent attending John Burroughs Elementary, Orville Wilbur Wright and James Monroe Jr. High Schools before attending Raymond S. McLain Sr.  High School, graduating in the Class of 1978.

Growing up, Gary was a talented young man playing sports in elementary and junior high school.  He began playing football with the Northside Baby hornets as a linebacker and excelled to the position with both junior high school team programs.  Gary briefly played some basketball in junior high school but, found a love of music that followed him the rest of his life.  He learned to play the tenor saxophone at Monroe Junior High School under direction of a Mrs. Johnson, the band and orchestra teacher.

Gary was most excited to enter high school where he focused and honed his musical talent joining the McLain " Stepping Scots" High School Marching and jazz Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Clyde McFrazier.  The love Gary put in mastering the tenor saxophone bugged his siblings something awful!   He would practice his horn during prime television rehearsing, his siblings say, until he would fall asleep with the saxophone around his neck and/or until his parents made him quit.  Gary loved playing the saxophone copying such artists as Gato Barbieri, David Sanborn and his favorite of all Grover Washington Jr.   Gary's parents got to see their investment into the first saxophone bought for him payoff, when they heard Gary's rendition of Grover Washington Jr's famed hit song (Mr. Magic), played flawlessly in the McLain Spring 1978 talent show.  Some said he brought the house down!  During that period the McLain Jazz Ensemble traveled and performed around the state and local area playing for multiple audiences.  It allowed Gary to showcase his talent along with other bandmates.  The performances led to a scholarship offer for Gary to attend Langston University.

After graduating from high school Gary accepted his scholarship to Langston University in the fall of 1978, joining the Pride of Langston University Marching Band.

If you knew Gary he would tell you he enjoyed the years he spent educating himself at Langston.  It is said if you can make it at Langston University, you can make it anywhere!  Gary did just that, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education that would imprint his future life.  While at Langston, Gary pledged and joined Alpha phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Beta Kappa Chapter and also was a member of the Band Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi.

Upon graduation from Langston University in 1984, he joined Mr. Elmer Davis at Booker T. Washington High School as an assistant band director of the "T Connection"  Marching Band during the 1984-85 school years. It was Gary' s desire to lead his own school music program and when that fell through he looked for new experiences and enlisted in the United States Army.  After basic training, Gary qualified for the Army Band Corps and found himself playing for dignitaries such as the President of the United States of America.   It was during his military service Gary met and married his former wife Sharleen Brown of Baltimore, MD.  It was during their union their child (son) Gary Wayne Jr. was born.

While on active duty Gary was mortally injured to the point of death and spent years recovering from his wounds, but the injury robbed Gary of his ability to play the saxophone again.  However, he recorded an instrumental CD before losing his ability to play the saxophone.  The U.S. Army medically separated Gary after four years of service as he continued to recover from his injuries returning home to Tulsa.  Even though Gary never fully regained his strength after returning to Tulsa, he surrounded himself with family and friends.

Gary left us on Friday, June 22, 2018 at 8:30p.m., falling into an eternal rest.  He professed a belief in Jesus the Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.  Anyone that got to experience Gary in person saw his "soft side" and demeanor, the meekness, gentleness was evident to those that came into his presence knew he loved the Lord.

Gary's Mother, (Idella), and sister (Marva Ladonna), and nephew (Samuel) preceded him in death.  Gary is survived by his two sons, Joe and Gary Jr., his father Orlis Sr., brothers Kevin, Orlis Jr., Hiawatha, Quinton, David, Darrell, Mark and Edward, with several aunts, uncles and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, classmates and friends.

Services will be Saturday June 30, 2018 at 2PM inside Biglow's All Faiths Chapel in Tulsa.

Friends may visit Mr. Brown on Friday from 1PM until 7PM in the Tulsa Chapel.

Interment will be Monday July 2, 2018 at 11AM at The National Cemetery will Military Honors.