Johnny McBrown

Johnny McBrown died on Wednesday, May 21,2008 of pulmonary fibrosis on the tugboat Kathy at Jarrell's Cove Marina on Harstine Island. He was 66 and had resided at Jarrell's Cove for eight years.

He was born on April 8, 1942 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, to Francis A. Piotrowski and Jewell Hutchinson. He served in the Navy. On May 6, 1996, he married LaGatha McBrown in Dallas, Texas. Mr. McBrown worked as a long-haul trucker and a tugboat captain. He hauled veneer chips out of Simpson Timber Company Mills 3 and 5. He loved to cook and competed in tugboat races during Harbor Days celebrations in Olympia. He was a member of the Teamsters Union and the International Retired Tugboaters Association.

Surviving are wife LaGatha McBrown of Shelton; daughters Jeanette Barber of Shelton, Cindy Weldon of Mesquite, Texas, Kathy Byars of Springfield, Oregon, Brenda Cole of Renton and Donna Camphouse of Seattle; sons Donnie Kirk of Mequite and Robert Caldwell of Dallas.

Also surviving are brother Francis "Mick" Piotrowski of Sand Creek, Wisconsin; sister Maggie Engel of Menomonee, Michigan; 18 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother John Piotrowski, sister Mary Daken, daughter Dana Kirk and granddaughter Ashley Byars.