Bryan Zane Brower

Bryan Zane Brower was born in Moberly, Missouri on April 28, 1976. He passed away on January 23, 2020, at his home in Murphysboro, Illinois.



Bryan was a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served as a Senior Airman from 1994 to 2000. He was an avid reader and explorer of philosophy, wrote both poetry and prose, and earned his Bachelor’s in Creative Writing from the University of Central Missouri in 2009. He also earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2012), where he and his wife met in 2010. She moved in beside him, saw him from her window as she was unpacking, and was immediately smitten—he was so lost in a good book that he couldn’t put it down even as he was walking to check his mail. They met officially a few days later and were inseparable from then on. He never finished that book. They married in 2013. Bryan was proud to be a shift lead at Dyno Nobel, an explosives manufacturing plant in Wolf Lake, Illinois. He took great pleasure in the wildlife and landscape of the federally designated wilderness area around the site. He was deeply invested in the physical and emotional wellbeing of his coworkers, and he loved breaking the rules to blow off steam with a under-the-radar poker game every now and then. Bryan was a keen social observer, a friend and counselor to many. His morality was unwavering. He passionately spoke his mind and always stood up for what he believed in, regardless of consequence. He was Bryan Brower, after all.



He is preceded in death by his brother, Gregg Brower.



He is survived by his sister, Kelly Waldrep, his niece, Kristy Waldrep, his nephews, Matthew, Nathan, and Jacob Waldrep, his children, Cobain Dean Brower and Irene Adele Brower, and his wife, Lesley Hope Brower.



A celebration of life will be held at the Murphysboro Event Center (1401 Walnut Street, Murphysboro, IL 62966) on Saturday, March 7, at 1 PM. All are welcome to speak, read, or share stories honoring Bryan's life.