MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — As students in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System prepare to head back to class next week, one familiar face will be missing from the halls of Montgomery Central High School.
Veteran math teacher Mike Brown, a longtime fixture in the school's hallways, will spend the upcoming school year focused on recovery after suffering a serious medical emergency over the summer.
For colleagues like fellow teacher Ruth Nunn, the thought of returning to school without Brown is difficult to imagine. "It's going to be awful," Nunn said.
Brown's absence is expected to be felt by both students and staff. Nunn said many former students credit him with changing the course of their lives through his dedication inside and outside the classroom. "I've had students that have told me that they would not be where they are today if it wasn't for Mike Brown," she said.
Fellow teacher Steve Herberer has worked alongside Brown for more than two decades. "We've taught together for 22 years," Herberer said. "Mike's always helping people and always caring for people."
Brown's health challenges began this summer when doctors discovered he had suffered a brain bleed. But friends say the Brown family's difficult summer did not end there.
Shortly after Mike Brown's medical emergency, his wife, Constance Brown, suffered a heart attack and a stroke.
Constance Brown is also well known in the Clarksville education community. She previously taught at Northwest High School and now works at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Clarksville. "They have such a legacy, the two of them," Nunn said.
According to colleagues, in order for Mike to stay close to Constance, he's had to stay in a hotel near Vanderbilt due to his own driving limitations with a brain bleed.
As medical bills and other expenses continue to pile up, friends and fellow educators decided they wanted to help. "The five of us sat down and said, 'What can we do?'" Herberer recalled.
Their answer was a community-wide barbecue fundraiser scheduled for Saturday, August 1st. Organizers say supporters can purchase barbecue by the plate or by the whole butt, and donations are also being accepted to help the Browns with medical and related expenses.
The barbecue and chicken will be cooked overnight Friday and ready for pickup between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Central Civitan Pavillion at 275 TN-13, Cunningham, TN 37052.
"If you just want to give a donation, that's great too," Herberer said.
For Nunn, however, the fundraiser represents something larger than financial assistance. "When you have touched so many people and so many lives, you need to know people out there love you and support you," she said.
Organizers hope the event will not only ease some of the family's financial burden but also demonstrate the impact the Browns have had on generations of students and educators throughout the Clarksville community.
You can reach out to one of the contacts on the flyer above if you have any questions or need additional information.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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