Pat Brown has passed away

What a sterling example of brotherhood you guys, and others, are. You stepped in to help Pat when I could no longer take care of him.

In the years with me, Pat proved to be exactly who I believed him to be from age 8 on. He was a good man, slow to anger, and always built people up. He appreciated everything my family and I did for him and tolerated much more than I could have health wise. Oh, and that sense of humor!

He asked me one time if he could keep his personality in the afterlife. I told him I certainly hope so; I wouldn’t have changed a thing about him. We both wished we had come together when we were younger. We believed we would have had a good life together. Maybe in the next round, if there is one.

Y’all are all such good men. Thank you. I love you all.

Darlene

When tragedy strikes, the teammate bond is unbreakable

Those part of the Pat Brown email loop included Jim Crouch, Mike Fayles, Lou Bagwell, Darlene Brady, Billy Dale, Bob Snoddy, Tommy Harmon, Larry Hardy, Burt Hooten, David Chalk, and Gary McIntosh. 

From: Jim crouch
Sent: Monday, September 1, 2025, 7:49 PM

About an hour ago, the folks at Brookdale called and told me that Pat had passed. He had elected to go to hospice on Friday, and the nurse called me Saturday afternoon and indicated that he might pass within a couple of days.

I saw him last Thursday and he had just returned from the rehab hospital. He looked well but mentioned that he felt tired. His mind, however, was sharp. While I was there, he asked about all of you by name and some other Permian guys I didn’t know. That’s how lucid he was. 

Gary reached out to his daughter Ashlee yesterday and she went to see Pat. Today she and her son Colton were with Pat. I’m very glad that they were with him.

Pat has a burial plot in New Braunfels, so I’ll keep you guys posted on pending funeral arrangements. Thanks for all the help!

Dear Jim,

Although we knew Pat was critically ill, it is still very sad to learn of his passing.  God Bless Pat. May he rest in peace free of the pain and suffering he endured.

I will always have fond vivid memories of Pat playing with us.

Jim, I tip my hat to you for all that you did for Pat the past months of his life. I know that Pat appreciated your friendship and care.  Thank you so much for pinch-hitting for us.      

Please let us know if Ashlee plans a service for Pat.

Pat was a good man who will be missed.

God Bless,

Pat  

Patrick J. Amos

Pat Brown was a team captain for the Texas Longhorns baseball team in 1968, a pivotal year that marked the beginning of the legendary Cliff Gustafson era as head coach. Brown shared captain duties with Bob Snoddy and George Nauert, helping lead a youthful squad that included future stars like Tommy Harmon, Randy Peschel, James Street, and Larry Hardy.

•             That 1968 team won the Southwest Conference (SWC) despite losing its first three SWC games—a testament to resilience and leadership.

•             Brown’s role as captain placed him at the heart of a transitional moment in Texas baseball, as Gustafson began building what would become one of the most dominant programs in NCAA history.

📜 Draft History & Career

Pat Brown—full name David P. Brown—was drafted multiple times out of UT Austin, including by the Los Angeles Dodgers (1st round, 1967) and Cleveland Indians (2nd round, 1968). He played as a right-handed outfielder, standing 6’1″, 195 lbs, and hailed initially from Permian High School in Odessa, Texas.

1967 Bob Snoddy, Pat Brown, James Scheschuk , and Kelly Scott Baylor game-

Health Status of a Fighter

In 2015, Pat suffered a back injury that necessitated surgery.  

He put in a lot of effort to recover from his surgery, but unfortunately, the implanted hardware did not work as planned. Pat had to go through a second surgery to replace the hardware. However, the second surgery was also unsuccessful, and he had to undergo a third surgery. In 2016, he was diagnosed with cancer in his left parotid gland, which required invasive facial surgery with reconstruction and skin grafts.

Pat underwent a fourth back surgery due to uncontrollable pain in his legs. He was later diagnosed with idiopathic progressive polyneuropathy.

One of Pat’s friends says,

“I have known Pat since we were eight years old, and when I learned of his difficulties, I brought him to Austin to seek additional medical care that he could not obtain on his own. During the two years he was with me, he had a successful knee replacement, and when we consulted a neurosurgeon who is known to treat complex back cases, it was found that he had spinal cord compression in his cervical spine. We were told that a minor automobile accident or fall could be fatal. So, the C-spine was the first back surgery in Austin.”

Once he had rehabbed and recovered from that surgery, he had more back surgeries for a T-spine herniated disc, more lumbar surgeries above and below the previously surgerized areas, and had the SI  (sacroiliac) joints fused, as the surgeon felt that nerves over those joints could be adding to Pat’s chronic pain. Through all of those procedures, Pat kept a positive attitude and held onto hope that the next treatment would alleviate his high level of pain. As of April 2024, he is now using a morphine drip to reduce his pain.

He was trialed twice for a spinal stimulator, but he got no relief. Pat is now dependent on a walker or wheelchair because of the severe neuropathy, especially in his feet. Because of Pat’s limited financial resources, he is now living in an old, below-par senior apartment complex. Pat needs help for cleaning services and money for meals from the bistro at the complex. Pat pays a neighbor to take his trash out and pick up prescriptions for him. The complex recently raised his rent $100 per month and reduced the available resources, which Pat could not afford anyway.

TLSN issued a grant of $6500 to help Pat with incidental expenses.

At his retirement complex, Pat did not have home health care, which most of us know involves just a visit and vitals check.

Pat was diagnosed with AMD (age-related macular degeneration) and, within the past year, has become unable to drive himself. He has eye injections every three months, which help to slow the progression, but his low vision causes him a lot of difficulties.

4/01/2024—The management of Pat’s Senior Living home informed Him he needed to move to another facility that offered assisted living. His teammates found him a facility and moved him from New Braunfels to San Marcus with the intent to move him to a Medicaid facility when he had no more assets.

Below is a link titled “SquareSpace.” Click on it for photos of Pat as a Brand builder for Permian Panthers and the Texas Longhorns.

Squarespace

A Mojo salute and a Hook’em Horn to a Panther and Longhorn brand builder. 

Billy Dale