Michael "Big Mike" Browning

Thomas Michael “Big Mike” Browning, age 69, of Kountze, passed away on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. He was born on June 27, 1956, in Cut and Shoot, TX.

A man of substantial presence and tender spirit, Mike was a good man. Born and raised in the heart of Cut and Shoot, Texas, he embodied the grit and grace of a true country boy. To know Mike was to know a manly man with the soul of a teddy bear. He was honorable and devoted, a steady hand and a warm hug. His life changed forever when he met Brenda, the woman who had prayed for a protector, a provider, and a partner. Mike was the answer to that prayer. They married on August 12, 1984, sealing their love. Together, they became the couple others aspired to be, an enduring example of trust, commitment, and endurance. Mike was the rock of the family, the glue that held everyone together. He made sure gatherings happened, memories were made, and love was always at the center. As a father and "Paw Paw," he was present and proud, never missing a game, always cheering from the sidelines, and collecting sports memorabilia with the same passion he brought to coaching and mentoring. A devout Christian, Mike lived his faith through kindness and integrity. He treated everyone with dignity, guided by the humorous yet profound wisdom passed down from his uncle: “Never pee on a peon.” That simple phrase reflected Mike’s deep belief in respect for all, regardless of rank or role. He lived by and reminded his family often of the words in 1 Corinthians, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”  “Big Mike” leaves behind a legacy not measured in accolades, but in the lives he touched, the love he gave, and the example he set. He was a husband, father, grandfather, coach, friend, and hero. Though he has passed from this life to his true home, his memory endures forever cheering us on, forever reminding us to love big and live well.

Left to cherish his memory is his beloved wife, Brenda Browning; sons, Gene Moody and partner, Serena Sauceda, Billy Lee and wife, KayCe, Robert Lee, and Preston Lee and partner, Courtney Stuart; daughters, Hope Lee, Victoria Browning, and Tina Betancourt; brothers, Casey Webb, Michael Webb, and Michael Browning; sisters, Tina Browning, Gina Bennett, and Thressa Vaughn; 25 grandchildren; 53 great-grandchildren, and 2 on the way; 2 great-great-grandchildren; and a host of extended family, friends, and loved ones.

Preceding Big Mike in passing is his father, T.O. Browning and wife, Mary; mother, Claudette “Snookie” Webb and husband, Billy; brothers, Alan Browning, Howard Browning, Danny Browning, and Johnny Fedder; sister, Kathleen Browning; and grandchild, Baby A.J. Cassiano.

Visitation for family and friends will be Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at Parkway Life Church, 1865 S FM 3513, Lumberton, TX 77657. Life honoring funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Parkway Life Church.

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