William (Bill) Dana Brown passed away on the evening of July 3, 2020. He was walking ahead of his wife entering their home in Dallas when he collapsed from a massive heart attack.
First of all, I must say that I'll need to add another verse to the song I wrote for the Fallen Eagles's Ceremony at our 50th Reunion; Another Eagle Found Their Wings. I referred to Sam Stevens (2012) and Tom Knutson (2016) in the song. My brother Bill, I was hoping you'd outlive me so I wouldn't have to write another verse. You are missed!!
Bill Bown and I go back to Junior High together. We really became best friends in the eighth grade when we both were riding Honda 50 motorbikes. Ironically, my key fit his Honda and vice versa. That led to a lot of pranks. I don't know who started the prank of riding the other's bike off somewhere around the school campus in a game of hide and seek, but we played the game on each other several times. I know I mentioned to David Cordell about how close of friends Sam Stevens and Bill and I were. The friendship of the three of us started in Junior High and lasted a lifetime. Through Junior High and High School we called ourselves the Three Amigos - I think either Bill's dad named us that or Sam's mom. After High School Tom Knutson became the Fourth Amigo, but I'm getting ahead of myself. At the end of our ninth grade year, Bill and his family moved to Houston. We lost track of each other for the year he was gone. It just so happened one day in the summer before our Junior year I ran into Bill at a car wash on Arapaho. He was in the next bay over from me. He wasn't just visiting Dallas, they had moved back to Richardson! From that day on we were never separated the rest of our lives. We both took off to Stephen F. Austin together. Bill was roommates with Steve Hull off campus and I was roommates with Elby Martin on Campus.
I can't mention Bill without mentioning Sam Stevens in the same breath. We absolutely did everything together and had a bond that to me became closer than my own brothers. I mentioned Tom Knutson, a bit ago .Let me tell how Tom became the Fourth Amigo. Earlier in my career I was a Wholesale Furniture Representative and had to attend Markets in Dallas and High Point, NC( I was living in Norman, OK at the time). Everytime I went to Market I made sure we would all get together for a lunch at least. We usually gathered at Los Vaqueros in Highland Park Village for our normal 2 hour plus lunch. Tom hadn't been part of the Three Amigos in High School but he was always with us after High School. It was at one of those lunches that Bill christened Tom as the Quattro Amigo. Tom had been Sam's roommate after High school and for a while Bill's as well. After my divorce in 1985 he became my roommate. So in our adult life the four of us have been linked for life. We shared everything together; holidays, birthdays, deaths and so on. In the summer of 1977 Sam's dad died of cancer. we all got together and spent the night at Sam's house. The following summer of 1978 Tom's mom died of cancer and we all gathered at Tom's. My dad died in the summer of 1979 of cancer and again we all got together for the evening. We were family.
Bill, Sam and Tom - maybe the circle has been broken here on earth, but it will never be in our hearts. At this rate, Sam in 2012, Tom in 2016 and Bill in 2020 don't know if I'll join ya'll in 2024.
"There's a better place up yonder, in the sky Lord in the sky" - The Carter Family, Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Ron Knight
First of all, I must say that I'll need to add another verse to the song I wrote for the Fallen Eagles's Ceremony at our 50th Reunion; Another Eagle Found Their Wings. I referred to Sam Stevens (2012) and Tom Knutson (2016) in the song. My brother Bill, I was hoping you'd outlive me so I wouldn't have to write another verse. You are missed!!
Bill Bown and I go back to Junior High together. We really became best friends in the eighth grade when we both were riding Honda 50 motorbikes. Ironically, my key fit his Honda and vice versa. That led to a lot of pranks. I don't know who started the prank of riding the other's bike off somewhere around the school campus in a game of hide and seek, but we played the game on each other several times. I know I mentioned to David Cordell about how close of friends Sam Stevens and Bill and I were. The friendship of the three of us started in Junior High and lasted a lifetime. Through Junior High and High School we called ourselves the Three Amigos - I think either Bill's dad named us that or Sam's mom. After High School Tom Knutson became the Fourth Amigo, but I'm getting ahead of myself. At the end of our ninth grade year, Bill and his family moved to Houston. We lost track of each other for the year he was gone. It just so happened one day in the summer before our Junior year I ran into Bill at a car wash on Arapaho. He was in the next bay over from me. He wasn't just visiting Dallas, they had moved back to Richardson! From that day on we were never separated the rest of our lives. We both took off to Stephen F. Austin together. Bill was roommates with Steve Hull off campus and I was roommates with Elby Martin on Campus.
I can't mention Bill without mentioning Sam Stevens in the same breath. We absolutely did everything together and had a bond that to me became closer than my own brothers. I mentioned Tom Knutson, a bit ago .Let me tell how Tom became the Fourth Amigo. Earlier in my career I was a Wholesale Furniture Representative and had to attend Markets in Dallas and High Point, NC( I was living in Norman, OK at the time). Everytime I went to Market I made sure we would all get together for a lunch at least. We usually gathered at Los Vaqueros in Highland Park Village for our normal 2 hour plus lunch. Tom hadn't been part of the Three Amigos in High School but he was always with us after High School. It was at one of those lunches that Bill christened Tom as the Quattro Amigo. Tom had been Sam's roommate after High school and for a while Bill's as well. After my divorce in 1985 he became my roommate. So in our adult life the four of us have been linked for life. We shared everything together; holidays, birthdays, deaths and so on. In the summer of 1977 Sam's dad died of cancer. we all got together and spent the night at Sam's house. The following summer of 1978 Tom's mom died of cancer and we all gathered at Tom's. My dad died in the summer of 1979 of cancer and again we all got together for the evening. We were family.
Bill, Sam and Tom - maybe the circle has been broken here on earth, but it will never be in our hearts. At this rate, Sam in 2012, Tom in 2016 and Bill in 2020 don't know if I'll join ya'll in 2024.
"There's a better place up yonder, in the sky Lord in the sky" - The Carter Family, Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Sandra Spieker (Ringo)
Ron,
Beautiful tribute to your friends Bill, Sam, and Tom.