Michael Allen Brown, age 36, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Sunday, Jan. 13, in Oliver Springs.
Michael was born Oct. 13, 1976, in Knoxville. He lived in Florida and Pennsylvania before moving back to Oliver Springs.
Michael was a professional baseball pitcher who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before the team was franchised into major league baseball. While playing at Tampa Bay, the team was franchised, and the first pitch of the first game was signed by the entire team of the Devil Rays and the baseball is now archived in Cooperstown, in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He played for the Tampa Bay Rays for four years and later for the Pittsburgh Pirates for two years. Following a career-ending injury, he returned home and worked in auto sales at Toyota of Knoxville.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Winford Shoopman; by his maternal step-grandfather, Albert Cox; by paternal grandparents, Roy and Lavada Brown; by a step-sister, Elissa Hatfield; and by a sister-in-law, Stephanie Brown and her sons, Gage, Grayson, and Jackson Brown.
Michael is survived by the love of his life, a daughter, Kailey Brown and her mother, Nikki; by his parents, Vincent and Sandy Brown; by a brother, Josh Brown; and by his maternal grandmother, Florence Cox.
He is also survived by uncles, Wimp Shoopman, Kenneth Shoopman and Pete Hatfield; by an aunt, Linda Edwards; by many friends, including a special friend, Amy Hester; and other extended relatives.
Funeral services and burial will be private.
Sharp Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. An online guest book is available at www.sharpfh.com.
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