Obituary

Tom Brown Jr.:  January 29, 1950 – August 16, 2024

It is with great sadness that I write to all of you with news of Tom’s passing. As most of you know, Tom was my teacher, and from my perspective, he still is. Has Tom really passed?  Or does his vision live on in so many?  Obviously, I believe the latter. 

Tom was a walking contradiction. It was hard to understand where Tom stood. The reality is, he stood on/with the Earth. His vision, which is often misunderstood, was that he did not do enough. This is what he lived.

Passage from the “Journey” – Tom Brown Jr.

“An old man approached me from the ruins of the city. He was gaunt, starving, and diseased. He looked at me and asked, “Why have you done nothing? Why have you sentenced me to this living hell? Is this the legacy you have left for me Grandfather?” His words shook my very soul, for I realized at that moment this old man was my grandson, I had done nothing, I had no answers for him.”

This vision both motivated him and created a crevice in his being. Sadly, that was never bridged. From my vantage point as student, manager, advocate and friend, it was never easy to be with Tom, as he wrestled with his vision. I have watched him over the decades, in this struggle, not attempting to overcome, but instead becoming his vision no matter what others thought of him. I have watched him with family struggles as well. My heart goes out to all Tom’s children and wives, knowing these relationships were not easy, but it was the struggle he lived for. 

This is to all of Tom’s students and there are thousands of us. If we include the students of Tom’s students that would bring the number into the hundreds of thousands. Tom asked us all to become this philosophy, to master some aspect of it and pass it on in its purity. To do this well takes tremendous dedication, as well as an understanding of the man who passed this on. Tom did an incredible job challenging who you wanted him to be. If you can see past your own projections, understand the man’s medicine and wounding, then you will understand how to filter out the parts of Tom that he did not allow himself to see. From here, from this place is where we work.

I often say to the students of wildernessFusion, this is a living philosophy. It is not meant to be static. It is meant to be lived and meant to be transformed with every generation. If we step into our mythology….many years ago a wandering tribe made a choice. Can we transcend dogma and superstition they asked?  Can we transcend tradition and belief and step into the simple truth? Tom taught us many tools on this path of transcendence, and yes, our very nature is to want these teachings to be fixed.  In doing so, we miss the work of generations. Can we transcend the path that got us here?  Please resist the desire to create dogma from these simple teachings.

None of us can teach like Tom Brown, and I’m not sure any of us should try. Become this philosophy, become this path, and pass it on with your medicine. This will honor Tom’s legacy, this will honor all of those who came before. 

I want to close with a simple thank you. Tom, thank you for everything you have taught over the decades. Thank you for passing on this simplicity, and perhaps most importantly, thank you for asking me to teach this healing path to others. Although, I often curse you for this generosity, you have influenced me in ways that not many can understand. You will always be a contradiction to me, and for this I am thankful, because you taught me about choice.

Read: He Has Passed