Last month in early April, my dear friend and buddy Chuck Browne unexpectantly passed away due to a lingering illness. I first met Chuck in 1999 when I worked as an agent assistant at the Lee County Extension office. He served as the horticulturist there and was one of five county agents that introduced and trained me for Extension work. Even when I began my career in Tallapoosa County in 2000, Chuck and I remained in touch and close for 23 years. 

When Chuck retired from Extension several years ago, he and his wife, Cathy, permanently moved to Lake Martin and became residents of Tallapoosa County. Despite a new chapter in his life, Chuck could not stop helping folks, even in his spare time. He assisted with many of our Extension, Master Gardner and 4-H programs; helped map the Tallapoosa River and the Harold Banks Canoe Trail; and became a positive influence and asset in the community. He just loved people, the great outdoors, Lake Martin, the Tallapoosa River and life itself.