Joe (August 18, 1931- May 3, 2012) was the son of Joe and Reba Browne. He was born in Houston, Texas, but moved with his family to Albuquerque, NM at a young age and grew up there. He had a sister, Mary, born in 1943. He never got over his love for the Texas coast though, and eventually moved back there.

Joe around 1935

He was an athletic boy – liked baseball and was a lifeguard as a teenager. He rode his bicycle all over town – Tingley Beach, the West Mesa, and the Sandias were a few places he liked to bike to. He attended Albuquerque High School and worked at the Kimo movie theater, where he met Joan Roper and they married in 1948 and had their first child Colleen in 1949. Cathleen (Suky) followed in 1950, then Joe III (Buddy) in 1952 , and Steve in 1954. He and Joan divorced around 1960.

Steve, Suky, Buddy, Joan, Joe at 6700 Mossman Dr.

Two things he loved were airplanes and the ocean. He started a charter business, Thunderbird Air, based at the Albuquerque airport and flew people to different locations – sometimes to Central and South America which he loved. He once had a job flying Senator Dennis Chavez around the country. When he lost his eyesight in one eye due to optic nerve damage it was a blow to him to have to stop flying. He would sometimes take his kids to sit on the wall at the Albuquerque airport and watch the planes take off overhead.

Albuquerque airport

He later moved to Rockport, Texas and built a dome house right on the water. At that time he was married to his second wife, Pat. They had one child, John Thomas born in 1970, and she had three children from a previous marriage, Walter, Elaine and William.

He was a gifted story teller – the words would just flow and whether he was relating tales from his childhood or flying days or talking about politics, he would have everyone’s attention with his often hilarious stories – he often would hone in on life’s absurdities. He could be sarcastic at times, but he was actually a softhearted, sensitive person with a natural affinity to those without many chances in the world.

Joe and Nick, 1976

Father

Grandfather

Great grandfather