Michael Owen Brown, 81, of Batavia, Ohio, formerly of Kettering, Ohio, passed away peacefully on September 17, 2026, at UC Medical Center, surrounded by the love of his family and the faith that carried him throughout his remarkable life.

Mike is survived by his wife, Janet Yost Brown; his daughters, Laura (Ryan) Schnitzler, Leslie (Daniel) Baumgart, and Sarah (Randy) Land; his grandchildren, Stuart, Sadie, Harry, Charles, Owen, Josephine, and Juniper; his sister, Cynthia D. Brown Lamberth (Mark); brother-in-law Gary Yost; sister-in-law Karen Brown; Meribeth Brown; nieces Wendy (Jeff), Molly (Chris), Courtney (Bill), nephews Nathaniel (Christin), Gabriel (Polly), and Alexander (Lydia), along with great nieces and nephews, Clara (Ben), Grace (Tristan), Eva, Emmy, Colton, Luke, Parks, Sawyer, Miller; great- great niece, Eliza, and a special dog, Teddy, along with many other relatives and friends who will miss him dearly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Owen and Wanda Parker Brown, his brother, Philip Lee Brown, mother-in-law Wilma Yost, and sister-in-law Diane Yost.

Born in Dayton, Ohio on August 27, 1945, Mike grew up in Kettering and was a proud graduate of Kettering Fairmont High School. He continued his education at Wright State University and earned his drafting certification from Kettering City Schools ASPIRE.

Mike’s life was one of extraordinary resilience. Born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart condition also referred to as blue baby, he underwent his first heart surgery at just three years old, at a time when very few children with the condition survived such a procedure. He underwent a second heart surgery at age 25 and continued to overcome health challenges throughout his life. His cardiologist affectionately referred to him as a “walking history book.” For more than eight decades, Mike demonstrated a quiet determination and strength that inspired everyone who knew him.

His faith was an important part of his life from childhood. Mike was baptized and confirmed at Greenmont-Oak Park Community Church, and in the same church, he later married Janet Yost July 12, 1975. Eventually moving to Cincinnati, Ohio, Mike continued his journey of faith at Cherry Grove United Methodist Church and Living Faith United Methodist Church.

Mike built a rewarding career in broadcast media. He worked at WLWD, and later at WLWT, where he served for many years as Syndication Director. His work brought him behind the scenes of some of television’s most recognizable programs and personalities, including The Phil Donahue Show, Sally Jessy Raphael, and The Jerry Springer Show. His work with the Phil Donahue organization even took him around the world on special trips with Donahue and his staff. After Donahue’s retirement in 1996, Mike worked for Universal until 1997, and he later began a new chapter of his career at the Internal Revenue Service.

Mike offered a gentle presence, entertaining humor, an ability to fix anything placed before him, and a talent to refinish basements and do other home repairs. He was the official birthday cake decorator for his family, and he strived to make memorable holiday moments for his loved ones. He showed his love by doing for others and by showing up— both when his daughters were growing up and over the past seventeen years for his grandchildren.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about Mike was that he never allowed the challenges he faced to define him. His life began with a difficult medical diagnosis, but it became a life filled with family, faith, laughter, creativity, work, service, and love.

Mike’s heart has been donated to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where it will be preserved for education and research to help doctors and future generations better understand congenital heart disease. The heart that carried Mike through 81 extraordinary years will continue to contribute to the lives of others.

A celebration of Mike’s life will be held on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at Living Faith United Methodist Church, 2010 Wolfangel Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45255.
Visitation 1 – 3pm
Celebration of Life 3pm

In lieu of flowers, below are some meaningful organizations near and dear to Mike, if you so choose to make a donation in his memory:

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center – Congenital Heart Research
3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 9002
Cincinnati, OH 45229-3026

Living Faith United Methodist Church
2010 Wolfangel Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45255

League for Animal Welfare – Batavia
4193 Taylor Rd
Batavia, OH 45103

American Heart Association
7272 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75231