My name is Roxanne. I was a close friend of Don Brown and a former resident of Nema, a place that Don deeply loved and proudly called home. Don was one of those rare people who made you feel truly seen, cared for, and unconditionally loved. Knowing him changed all of us.

Don passed away suddenly, and his family is located in Canada. In the weeks and months ahead, they will need to make multiple trips to the United States to manage Don’s affairs, coordinate his return to Canada, and ultimately lay him to rest in the place he called home. These necessary but unexpected expenses—travel, lodging, legal arrangements, and burial costs—come at an incredibly painful time.

I created this GoFundMe to help ease that burden for Don’s family, so they can focus on grieving, honoring his beautiful life, and bringing him home with the dignity and care he deserves. Don loved so many of us so freely and without condition. This is a small way for us to wrap his family in that same love and support.

Thank you for being part of Don’s community and for helping care for the people he loved most.