Donald Ivan "Brownie" Plessman, age 88 of Casper, passed away July 15th, 2023 at Central Wyoming Hospice where he spent his last day surrounded by his loving family.
Brownie was born Oct. 27th, 1934 in Casper Wy to the late Edward G. & Frances M. Plessman. Brownie attended NCHS, joined the Air Force in April of 1952 where he served during the Korean War & was stationed in South Korea. He was honorably discharged in 1956. Upon returning home he attended Caper College, receiving an Assoc. of Electrical Technology. While working construction in the electrical field Brownie met the love of his life Carla Steward at the Wagon Wheel skating rink & they were married on June 30th, 1961. During the early years of his career, Brownie fueled his love of travel working all over Wyoming and Washington. Brownie & Carla completed their family with the addition of son Mark & daughter Sonya w/ whom he shared his love of camping, fishing & traveling. Brownie loved "horse trading", which opened the doors to multiple business opportunities & he thrived on making the best deals.
During this time Brownie became a Master Electrician as well as a Master "Storyteller." He worked for various electrical companies in Casper, putting him closer to home with his family & business ventures before starting his final electrical journey w/ the Bureau of Reclamation, working at Alcova, Freemont, Pathfinder & Seminoe dams.
Brownie LOVED work, starting at a very young age delivering papers, shining shoes, whatever project or job he could take on & worked until his retirement at the age of 78.
Brownie made lifelong friends throughout his life & career w/ his outgoing personality & ability to make everyone feel a part of the family. This carried over even w/ his children's friends, the Plessman house was always the place to hang out.
Brownie loved God & his family, never passing up an opportunity to show it through giving hugs in greetings & farewells. He loved the beauty of God's world & never hesitated to share it, always going on long rides with whoever would hop in the car.
Brownie's & Carla's generosity were well known, & he was always willing to lend a helping hand to family, friends & strangers alike. It was not uncommon for them to provide food, financial assistance & shelter to those down on their luck, expecting nothing in return. Brownie never met a stranger, & could strike up a conversation with anyone of any age. He always had at least a few stories to share, & his knowledge of local history, who owned what ranch, where gold mining was done, where the ancient pigmy indigenous man was found, where the best fishing holes were, the most beautiful mountain roads led, who started what business, and who their family was, & what kind of people they were, are just a few of the topics he had vast knowledge of.
Brownie was well known for "pulling your leg", cracking jokes, kamikaze, downhill skiing & driving. His smile, laughter & enthusiasm for life were infectious. Although he was not well known for being a planner, he was always thinking & talking about his next travel adventure w/ Carla & would come home from work & say let's take off, their suitcases were always packed, ready by the door. Their favorite was to cruise the world from the Mexican Caribbean, to Europe, the Bahamas, Alaska, on & on & traveling roads anywhere they would take him, especially if there was a casino at the end. This helped fulfill his childhood dream of being a hobo and traveling the world. He will always be remembered for his character, humor & hat that he never left home without it.
In addition to his parents & wife Carla, Brownie was preceded in death by his sister Lavern, brother Edward. He is survived by his Children, Mark Plessman (Kelly), grandchildren Kelsey & Jake Plessman, Daughter Sonya DeArmon (Josh), grandchildren Shayne (Josh) Kost, Kaden (Hannah) Adelman, Saige, Dakota & Darion DeArmon, great grandchildren Theoden & Charliegh Kost, & Marina Maes, many loving nephews, nieces & friends.
A Celebration of Life will take place at 1:00 PM on Friday, August 4, 2023 at Newcomer Funeral Home, Casper chapel. Following the urn burial at Highland Cemetery, there will be a reception at 3:30 at the Yellowstone Garage, 355 W Yellowstone Hwy, Casper, WY 82601
Arrangements are under the direction of Newcomer Casper. To share a memory or leave a special message, please visit the guestbook below.