Tom Brown is making the most of his day.

 

The enjoyment is not only because he has been living in Clearwater, Florida for the past 12 years. The enjoyment is not exclusively the result of the former Bridgeport coach, teacher, and principal being well into his retirement years after spending his last year as assistant principal in 2002-3 at Bridgeport Middle School.

 

Yes, Tom Brown is partially enjoying his day because of those reasons. He has another reason to enjoy them as well – he knows he has too few of them left.

 

Earlier this year, the beloved educator who impacted thousands of students in Bridgeport and beyond, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. His son Tommy told me the time frame for living at the time of the diagnosis – that he said was a month ago – was anywhere between three to six months.

 

“I had stomach pain, not significant, and was nauseous for a bit, but I thought it was just constipation or something of that nature. Two weeks ago, I had a UTI, and they ran a CAT scan on me,” said Brown, who was sought a further medical opinion Wednesday. “The next day, the oncologist shows up and tells me I have masses on my pancreas and liver.

 

“Looking back, there were signs earlier that I had a problem, and probably even earlier than that that I didn’t recognize,” he continued. “Those symptoms led me to ask for the scan because something wasn’t how it should be. Unfortunately, I was right, and the cancer is pretty far along.”

 

Brown knows time is limited, and it’s almost precious. The man who moved with his wife JoAnne to Clearwater 12 years ago after living between the Sunshine State and Morgantown knows he won’t be spending two to three days at the golf course or at the racetrack. He will still, as much as he is able, enjoy the days.

 

“All the days are nice, and you get sunny days just about every day,” said Brown. “I plan to make the most of all of them.”

 

There is no doubt of that. Tom Brown has always done that. And it goes back to his history, which includes making the most of all of his time in Bridgeport and, prior to that, in Pennsylvania.

 

While Brown is engrossed in Bridgeport’s history, he grew up in Western Pennsylvania. He was one heck of an athlete as the scholarship that landed him to play basketball at Morris Harvey College (today the University of Charleston) back in the mid-1960s and where he graduated in 1965 proves.

 

It set the stage for his presence in the Mountain State in general and Bridgeport in particular. Once finished at Morris Harvey, Brown earned his master’s degree at WVU in the latter part of the 1960s in physical education and educational administration.

 

After that, his professional career began – and it began with a choice to either coach basketball at Bristol or become an assistant at Bridgeport. He chose Bridgeport and he, Wayne Jamison, and Ed Carder coached just about everything. Brown was the assistant basketball and football coach and head track coach. For nearly six years, he coached track and eventually became the head hoops man and then assistant principal and athletic director during that run at BHS.

 

The time with Jamison and Carder, starting in 1970, is the genesis of the machine that is Bridgeport football. Tom Brown was part of that, and he treasures it.

 

“I got to be on the inner circle of the entire creation of Bridgeport football as it is now with Wayne, myself, and Ed Carder. We’d go in that old field house, and they would argue over offenses and defenses,” Brown recalled with a laugh. “When Wayne became head coach in 1970 it all went into place with philosophies so simple still in play to this day, particularly defense. His philosophy was don’t let the team score and you can’t lose.

 

“The stick-I was done to not just run, but keep the game short with the defensive mindset,” he continued. “Wayne was such a fabulous coach. People forget he coached other sports. The fact is he could coach anything and have success.”

 

Brown had some initial success as well. He said Jamison’s first title team in 1972 featured a whole lot of players he coached on the junior varsity squad the year prior.

 

“I don’t remember if we were undefeated, but we had good players. That jayvee team was dynamite,” he said. “They moved up to varsity and in 1972 the first of a whole lot of titles began.”

 

When asked who the best athlete was that he coached or was involved with, Brown did not hesitate.

 

“It was Chris Sprenger. He could do it all,” said Brown. “I was the track coach, and he could have run everything I needed in a time when it was hard to put a track team together. He was just amazing.”

 

While many who know Brown believe his entire career was in Harrison County, it was not. In fact, he returned home to Pennsylvania after kicking things off with Jamison and watching Sprenger as he wanted to coach, and you were not allowed to coach and be an administrator, who he became at BHS.

 

That led Brown to Moon Township in Pennsylvania. He coached basketball there from 1973 to 1978 and in that final year he coached a sophomore named John Calipari who moved up to the varsity squad.

 

From 1978 and 1983, Tom and JoAnne – another beloved educator from Bridgeport – were back in the hills of West Virginia. JoAnne was at the old Junior High while Tom was teaching, as well as serving as an assistant basketball and football coach for the Indians.

 

There would be another interruption from Bridgeport. From 1983 to 1988 he was an assistant principal at Washington Irving High School. Eventually, he came home to Bridgeport. From 1988 to 2003, he was the assistant principal at Bridgeport Junior High and eventually the transfer to Bridgeport Middle.

 

Those years in Bridgeport were special, including some time after Bridgeport. Brown also didn’t hesitate when asked who the individual in which he felt was the funniest he ever worked with in an educational setting. The answer will surprise no one.

 

“My best friend, Larry Burner, without a doubt,” said Brown of the late long-time coach and teacher. “Larry and I became like brothers back in 1970. He was the assistant football coach and wrestling coach.

 

“… He was a character,” Brown said. “I have a bunch of stories, but I don’t know if I can put them on the record.”

 

As for coaching, teaching, and serving as an administrator, where he impacted thousands of students, there are no regrets.

 

“I was satisfied with my career, and it was a career path that rolled out in front of me,” said Brown. “I always wanted to coach, and I got better over time as a teacher, and it came easy. I think it was I’ve always enjoyed being around and working with kids.

 

“When I got into administration, I still enjoyed being around kids even though I was probably considered old school,” he continued. “At time, I was probably taken as being harsh, but I just wanted them to hear a message I felt they needed to hear. I hope they did. I know I loved what I did.”

 

As much as he loved his time at the schools, his friend Larry Burner, and the students, the one thing he loved most about Bridgeport occurred during one of the most difficult times he and his family faced. It was when his daughter Kim’s daughter – his granddaughter Grace Meek – suffered what, in layman’s terms, is a spinal cord stroke. The situation left his granddaughter in need of significant medical care that came with significant costs.

 

The Bridgeport community, as well as those around the area, stepped up.

 

“It was heartwarming to see people get on board to raise the money we raised,” said Brown, who said Grace today is teaching high school math in Colorado and getting her master’s degree from Texas A&M in the same subject. “You can’t imagine the cost involved with something like that.”

 

The big fundraiser was the Go Gracie Go Golf Tournament. Brown planned on having it one year at the Bridgeport Country Club. Instead, it turned into an event for several years, raising huge amounts of money.

 

“The funds the community contributed allowed us to get a handicapped van, do renovations on their home and so much more,” said Brown. “They made a really rough time a little easier to deal with.”

 

Brown is once again having a rough time. His family will be the ones to help make it easier to deal with.

 

His three kids – Tommy, Kim Meek, and Pam Beck – are all coming to stay with their father. They’re bringing Tom’s nine grandchildren with them.

 

“I would visit them, but I don’t think I can travel. I’m pretty limited and really weak along with having trouble walking so they’re coming here,” said Brown. “It means the world to me.”

 

What else has meant the world to Brown is hearing from others who have found out. He said recently he’s been hearing from his old Morris Harvey teammates.

 

“That has made me feel good,” said Brown. “I’ve got good friends, and they’re appreciated.”

 

And Brown said he has a favor to ask if, and when, he passes. He would prefer there be no flowers. Instead, he said his family will set up a GoFundMe page to help his granddaughter Grace continue to have as comfortable a life as possible.

 

I am not surprised.

 

For those wishing to contact Brown, he would love to hear from you. You can reach him via email at thomaspops5@msn.com. You can also contact him via Messenger on his Facebook page HERE. There is a good chance you will hear from him.

 

“I am going to face whatever time I have left with my friends and family,” said Brown. “What life I have left, every minute of it, will be given to them.”

 

Even at the end, the man who was a coach, a father, grandfather, husband, uncle, teacher, and so much more is still giving. Let’s let him know the giving did not go unappreciated.

 

Editor's Note: Photos show Tom Brown at various stages of his coaching life, family life - including top photo with JoAnne and large family photo with kids and grandkis - and other aspects. The second photo is believed to be boarding the football bus prior to the 1979 state title game and with Coach John Calipari as Coach Cal's guest. He's shown inside a basketball huddle in the next photo. In the sixth photo, he's shown with his best friend, the late Larry Burner. Bottom photo is believed to be of the 1981-82 BHS basketball team where Brown was an assistant to Bill Kerns. All photos courtesy of the Brown family.