Charles Leo Brown

Charles "Chuck or Charlie" L. Brown, age 87, of Beavercreek, OH, crossed the final finish line of this life on Friday, March 3, 2023, after a hard-fought battle against cancer.


Chuck was born to Leo Ray and Josephine (Williams) Brown and raised in Hillsboro, OH, where he graduated high school in 1954. By then, he had already discovered his love for working on and racing cars. He was winning races all over southern Ohio until Uncle Sam called his name. He served in the US Army in Korea for almost 2 years and then in the Reserves. He couldn't wait to get out so he could get back to racing. Better job opportunities brought him to Dayton, where he met and married his beautiful wife of 60 years, Marsha. They moved to Beavercreek in 1966 and never left.

By day, he worked in the body shop at White-Allen Chevrolet, where he retired after 30+ years. He took pride in his work and was always willing to teach others the ropes.
He spent every other hour of the day and night in race mode. Driving, wrenching, watching, talking, strategizing, preparing, and dreaming - ALL OF IT was his favorite thing in the world. He has either driven or owned sprint cars for over 70 years, and there are still 2 cars in the garage!

His cars have won multiple track championships, countless races and have been a mainstay at Ohio dirt tracks for decades. In 2016, Charlie was inducted into the Atomic Speedway Hall of Fame, which was one of his career highlights. He was very well-known throughout the racing community for his cars, accomplishments, wisdom, and his knack for storytelling.

While racing was his passion, family was what kept his engine running. Chuck is survived by his wife, Marsha (Reedy); daughter, Lisa (Tony) Cull; grandchildren, Ryan (Michelle) Cull, Chelsea Cull and Austin Cull; sisters, Mildred "Sis" Coyte and Beverly McNeilan; and countless nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings; Howard, Harry, Roy, Herb, Harold, and Robert.

Donations may be made to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave, Dayton, Ohio.

Visitation will be held from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at Newcomer Funeral Home, 3380 Dayton-Xenia Rd., Beavercreek. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 10, 2023 at 10:00am at the Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Byron Cemetery, Fairborn.

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