Richard Browning

 Richard Clifton Browning, 89, of Omaha, Nebraska, quietly passed away on Sunday the 28th of January. The youngest son of Lois P (Clifton) Browning and Archie V Browning, he was born, as he would joke, on the kitchen table in Neligh NE on the 8th of May in 1934. The family moved from Neligh to Orchard NE and finally settled in Omaha. 

One of the first things that he got involved with upon moving to Omaha, and developed a great love for, was scouting. Dick was very involved in Boy Scouts his entire childhood and earned the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 16 during the court of honor on February 7th, 1951, from Post 42 at Dundee Presbyterian church. As any Eagle Scout will tell you, this comes with great personal pride and responsibility to be the best version of yourself from that moment on, and it was something he took very seriously. He was always very happy to meet and speak with any Eagle Scout he could. One of Dick's assignments in Boy Scouts was head of the “Social Crew” for his post, and if you knew Dick and his ability to work a room, it was very fitting. 

He attended Benson High School and graduated in 1952, always the proud Bunny. Dick was highly active in school with activities like the Student Council and ROTC. He also enjoyed playing football, basketball, track and the Senior Choir. 

After High School, he enrolled at the University of Nebraska – Omaha the same year and attended from 1952 to 1956 when he received his draft notice and entered military service in '56. His duty station was Fort Bliss Texas and he was assigned to a Headquarters Battery 2nd GM (Guided Missile) Battalion where he served with a group for the NIKE Ajax and Hercules Surface-to-Air guide missile systems. A little bit bigger than the rockets he made in Boy Scouts! Dick always carried a picture of those missiles in his wallet and loved to tell people that he worked with the people that got to fire them. After reaching the rank of SP3, he was transferred to the US Army Reserve and stationed back in Omaha. He reached the rank of SP5 (E5) and was Honorably Discharged in September of 1962. 

After coming back from Fort Bliss, he re-enrolled at UNO in 1958, joined the Fraternity of Sigma Phi Epsilon and graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration in the fall of 1961. Dick could find a Fraternity Brother wherever he went and was always looking. Dick being who he was, immediately started looking for a career that he could put his degree to work at. He married Jo Anne McLellan in 1960 and started his family. He found that first big job at Mutual of Omaha, starting in October 1960, and where he worked until he retired in 1994 after 30 plus years with the company. He started as an Underwriter and worked his way up in different sales and Underwriting positions from there. After he “retired” he decided he wasn’t done and went to work at University of Nebraska Medical Center in an accounting position where he stayed for about 6 years until he decided he really was done and wanted to retire 

Dick worked many different places and liked to try his hand at different things. From laying perfect hardwood floors while in college, to construction jobs on the family home, to amateur photography; Dick loved it all and always liked to be doing something even after he retired. Even after retiring, he didn’t slow down and added helping with all the grandkids and great-grandkids, volunteering at Dundee church and lots of errands to the list.

Dick also loved the outdoors. From camping, hiking, and fishing to the greatest outdoor love he had, Pheasant Hunting. That love was passed down to him from his father Arch, and he eagerly passed that love down to his kids, or anyone that wanted to come along. Dick would always ask, “Got your hunters safety card? Then climb in the car and let’s go”. The mornings always started with the semi-stern warning, “Everyone be on your toes and don’t slam the doors or squeak the fences...David”! Dick approached every hunt with an almost childlike glee, a sign of something you just love to do. He hunted often and at every chance he could, until he just couldn’t do it anymore. The heart was always willing, but the legs decided they had covered enough miles of open hunting land and wanted to rest. Dick loved to be walking in the tall grass with the cold Nebraska breeze blowing, just with the anticipation of a covey of Quail or an unlucky Pheasant or two jumping up. He always took great joy in seeing someone get their first bird and always had a camera close by to capture the moment. Some of his best memories were walking the fields around Orchard and Royal NE, or anywhere for that matter, with his sons, Eric and David, his nephews, his brother Jack and all the other friends that got to join in for those 3- and 4-day hunts. Those stories are still talked about today and always bring smiles and laughter. For me, Pheasant hunting and Dad are one in the same and always will be. 

Dick was also an avid Nebraska Cornhusker fan and got to see many games. He had been a season ticket holder starting in 1962 before they built the endzone seating. He loved going to the games no matter what the weather was. Dick always wanted to get there early enough to hear the band warm up and watch the teams get ready. He would sit in the stands wearing his signature blaze orange hunting stocking cap, screaming, yelling and high fiving everyone around him. The last game he went to was with his Daughter-in-law Carol on a last-minute invite. He didn’t know that would be the last time he would climb the stairs to his seats but mentioned many times how much fun the two of them had. 

He also was very involved with Dundee Presbyterian Church where he and his former wife Jo built and ran the CiLT (Counselor in Leadership Training) program for many years. The location of Camp Calvin Crest is just outside of Fremont NE, where the camp stayed for some 40 plus years. Teaching 14 to 16 year-olds how to camp and make a fire, how to administer minor first aid and safety, to planning activities and be an overall great future counselor for the kids they would in turn lead in just a year or two. That was an annual summer trip he looked forward to for the next 12 or so years. 

Dick had a love of writing letters and was absolutely thrilled to get them. Throughout his life he wrote hundreds of letters to his parents, his brother, and various friends he made in life. One group he stayed in very close contact with was all his scouting buddies from Post 42. From the Assistant Patrol Leader to the Quartermaster, to all the guys that just loved Scouting with him. He would even write letters to his kids when they were at camp during the summer when most parents would be enjoying the silence of home. From long typed or hand-written letters, short notes and even just a card saying, “I Love You”. He enjoyed and appreciated sending and getting them one and all.

While watching his children grow, Dick always took the opportunities to watch what they did and all the time keeping his camera close by. Be it musical performances, marching band, Little League baseball or softball. He loved to watch them enjoy what they did and took great pride in their joy and happiness. As time went on, he did the same for all the grandkids. From soccer, basketball, and volleyball, to dance performances and even history presentations. He loved it all and wanted to hear about everything. 

Dick is preceded to heaven by his second wife, Regina Marie (Marchio) Browning of Omaha, NE; his parents Arch and Lois Browning of Omaha, NE; his brother and sister-in-law, John (Jack) and Janice Browning and niece Melissa Browning  of Madison, WI. He is survived by his former wife, Jo Anne (McLellan) Browning and mother of his five children, Virginia (Browning) Snyder and husband David of Omaha; their children Jason (Elisa), Phillip, Stephen, Christine, Corrine and Todd. Suzanne Browning of Mission KS and her children; Matthew, Anna, and Benjamin Tatschl. Sarah Browning of Wahoo NE. Eric (Julie) Browning of Grand Island NE and his children; Jeffrey, Katherine, Christian. David (Carol) Browning of Omaha NE and their children Josephine and Emily. Along with eight great grandchildren and many nephews, nieces, and cousins across the US.