Otis Lee Brown, 70, of rural Woodhull, died on Friday, December 26, 2025, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
He was born on August 18, 1955, in Galesburg, the son of Frank and Selma (Ingersoll) Brown. He married Patricia S. “Pat” Brown on August 2, 1974. She preceded him in death on April 17, 2016. He was also preceded in death by his parents and two sisters.
He is survived by two daughters, Sherry (Carl) Morrison of Galesburg and Edith “Edie” (Kenneth) Tracy of East Galesburg; six grandsons and one granddaughter, Victor, Benjamin, and Matthew Vasquez, Nathaniel (Jasmine) Tracy, Zachary and Ezekiel Tracy, and Mercedes (Austin) Jacks; two great grandchildren, Carter James Tracy and Lincoln Hartwell Jacks; and a brother, Clifford Ray Brown of Kewanee.
Otis graduated from Kewanee High School in 1973. In earlier years, he had worked at Briggs Pottery in Abingdon and then was a Henry County sheriff’s deputy from March 2002 till March 2022. He enjoyed fishing and camping, especially with his grandchildren, kayaking, sailing, motorcycling, and woodworking. He was a Cubs and avid Chicago Bears fan.
Visitation will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m. at Rux Funeral Home, Galva. Deacon Michael Crummer will officiate. Cremation will be accorded after the service. Memorials can be directed to Special Olympics or to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
