To All Our Friends-

Hilton, the laughing brown eyed man, the teller of tales, the universal gypsy, the truly gentle man, is in the process of breaking down his final show.

Our daughter, Quijana, has asked that everyone who has known him and (how could you not) loved him, to post a word, a comment, a story.

These words from all of you have brought him much comfort, and much joy. Bring him another smile. He has brought us so many…

Vicki

________________________________________________________________

Please leave your contribution as a comment below. You do not have to create an account, but please sign your name if you post as a guest. Thank you! -Quijana

Saturday, May 12, 2012


Dear Hilton,

I was walking late last night and thinking about you I often do and I pray  and meditate as well that you may be comforted and comfortable even in your pain...

Many words come to mind as I think of you and reflect on time spent with you and Vicki. Last night it hit me that I also consider you to be a comfort zone. You are a fountain of bonhomie,  of deep love For your family and friends, and of knowledge. You are also a man of sense and sensibility and of the most generous people I know. Additionally, you are one of the most enjoyable and fascinating conversationalists I've ever been blessed enough to meet. You have always been so supportive and encouraging and have given good counsel when  I've needed it and I thank you so very much for that.

You are also the husband of a very cool lady, wonderful Vicki, with whom you've created a beautiful family for which we your friends are very grateful and by whom our lives have been enriched.

Hilton, you are surrounded by love because you have shown and given so much love and you have become love. And now I along with many of  your friends want you to know that we love and cherish you dearly, always.

Thank you for embracing me in your's and Vicki's life.
Amor sempiterno,
Otubea
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A collection of posts from the original message on Facebook.  Updates to this will be posted as their own entries.  Thank you to all who have helped me create this amazing tribute to my father.


  • Thursday
    Quijana Byrd
    • Hello, all.

      As you know, my father is quite ill. He is at home, and is being cared for by my mother and by a team of nurses who come to the house to make sure that he has what he needs. This is a difficult time, but he is surrounded with love and with the knowledge that he has made a difference to the people who’s lives he has touched.

      The younger Wendall and I are here in Pennsylvania with my parents. Wendall is receiving a double benefit this summer. Not only does he have time with my parents, we also have plans for him to visit with other family and friends during the next few months. We are taking things as they come, and not packing things too tightly, but he and I agree that this is where we both need and want to be right now.

      My cousin Rebecca has come up with a wonderful plan. She has an art project in mind, and needs our help. We are hoping that everyone could contribute a word or a short phrase that comes to mind when you think of Hilton. The idea is that these words can be strung together in order to create a portrait of Hilton. I think it is a beautiful idea, and I think that it will be made better with each person who can make a contribution to the final project.

      Please don’t worry that someone has already said what you might say. My honest hope is that many people will use the same words, as those words will be the most “true” to Hilton and to the impact that he has made in his amazing life.

      Thanks to all of you. The love and support you have shown to Vicki and Hilton over the past few months, and farther back through the years, has been a beautiful thing to witness. If you have anything that you would like to tell them beyond the words for this project, please know that I plan to read this message to them, and will be certain to update them as time goes on. Neither of them has much time to check email or facebook, but both of them know that they are truly loved.

      Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
      Quijana Byrd

      PS- Please feel free to forward this message or request to others who know my father. I know many of his friends, but not all, and I would appreciate the help.

  • Thursday
    David A Powell
    • Forger of Metals
    • Always Laughing
    • Smiling face
    • Loves to joke

  • Thursday
    Jackie Whitlow
    • Loves to laugh and giggle
    • Tells amazing stories
    • Most amazing father and husband
    • Has a smile worth $1 million bucks 

  • Thursday
    Josh Vega
    • You never quite know if there is embellishment involved in his story telling but from the very first time I met him I was absolutely sure that he was a man that I better take seriously.

    • Sent from my iPad

  • Thursday
    Renee Torrey
    • Acceptance

    • A true original
      Teddy-bear (Eden)
      I've thought of almost nothing else for the last hour and words are just failing me. To me, he is the living embodiment of "art"; an artist; the art of a story well told and a life well lived...he is art. For all the time I spent in museums as a kids (and it was substantial) I never saw how art was made. Yes, I saw someone paint a painting, etc, but no one ever told me the story or explained the life, until he came into mine.

    • Teller of tales with a contagious smile! Sending all of you my best thoughts.

    • @Ann Anderson Wolfer - you have (even in your struggle to find words) described Hilton beautifully. Thank you. 

      The words in my mind are all visual...his silly dances, glances, smirks...his walk, his handwriting, his vest...the angle of his glasses, a good beer and a good laugh. Contagious happiness, endless stories, beautiful embellishments, friend, gift, spirit.

  • Thursday
    Wendall Hall
    • Smiles, Laughter, Love, Family, Father, Serious, Silly, Hugs, Knowledge, Husband, Love, Grandfather, Beard, Bourbon, Drive, Driving, Artist, Knowledge, Black T-shirt, Sought After, Advice, Caring, Compassion, "Dummy", Humor, Strong, Friend, Family, Love.

      I know Love is in there a few times, but it just kept coming up.

  • Thursday
    Nancy L. Foote
    • Funny, cousin, family, laughter, talented.

      From my mother: Great smile, laughing, nephew, family, love

    • Joyful..Kind...Affectionate...Loves as He is Loved...

    • I barely remember him - but I do recall the few times seeing your family together in the house in Lewisburg was like a peak into a totally different world where people giggled and were deeply joyful, and had an appreciation for things I didn't yet have but opened my eyes a bit wider to the world  Hugs to you all - Renee or mom (or both) told me the situation and we all love you and your family!!

  • You added Justin Pettingell and Juan Gomez to the conversation.

    • From Joyce, "Wonderful storyteller and friend in the arts.".
      From Tom, "connoisseur of life"
      Love to you all.

    • Fred

  • Friday
    Kurt Brown
    • Dad, Master Storyteller, Big Fish, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Cosby, The Most Interesting Man in the World (Stay thirsty my friends!)

    • Raconteur, family man

  • Friday
    Oliver Byrd
    • The light in the room
      The laugh track
      This one time in Mexico
      Simply complex

      Hang in there pops

  • Friday
    Kurt Brown
    • Bourbon

  • Friday
    Oliver Byrd
    • Renaissance guy.

  • Friday
    Wendall Hall
    • IPA

  • You added Christine Trumbel Bergamo to the conversation.

    • MAGICIAN!!!!

    • A truly brilliant minded man. Captivating story teller. Wordly, people's person. Inquisitive. Inspiring. Uniquely unique on a higher plane. A privilege to have been known.

    • Love of Family
      Extremely Proud of Children, Spouses & Grandson
      A man of a thousand ideas & ten thousand stories
      Charming & Gifted Story teller
      Passion for life & laughter
      Best Kept Secret “I love to play Pool”
      BFF - Vicki & Hilton
      At shows Hilton is such a good story teller, that some people even forget that they were actually there to buy something:)

    • If it's as funny on the other side as it is on this side it will be a blast of a party.

    • Chuckler...and Persistent Smiler. I love the way that he tells a wonderful story and chuckles, laughs softly during the story and after. I've never seen Hilton NOT smiling. He graces everyone with his presence

  • Friday
    Josh Vega
    • Lord chesterfield

    • He is a Bob Dylan song with a Willie Nelson smile.

    • The descriptions of Hilton are typical of the men of the "Brown " family" All of our uncles,particularly C
      harlie,Donald and Hilton Sr,were jokers, story tellers and good family men. "Fruit never falls far....". We sat at the feet of our elders and our personalities were formed. It is amazing,how much we are like them.

  • Friday
    Guy March
    • Lover of nature... liver of life... spinner of tales... singer of songs. A renaissance man!

    • Dreamweaver, Mentor, Magic Tongued Devil with a Halo, Treasured friend who will carry a piece of my heart with him. Certainly, a memorable character. Unforgettable!

    • Funny; Made you feel at peace

  • Aaron Schaffer-Neitz added Rebecca Roberts to the conversation.

  • Friday
    Josh Vega
    • Infinitely interesting

    • From David Trumbel. Hilton Is a modern day Aesop. His fables are fictions which are truer than the truth!

  • Darice Joy Pauselius added Matt Pauselius to the conversation.

  • 22 hours ago
    Quijana Byrd
    • I wanted to say thank you to all who have answered. This doesn't mean stop talking, just that I'm so happy that there has been such a fantastic response. Thank you.

      Today was a busy day, and I did not have time to share all of these wonderful words with him. II am hoping for a quiet day tomorrow, when I will be able to sit and share this love.

      I'll share some of mine.
      Dad (A friend once commented that I always capitalize Mom and Dad, which always made her feel like they were simply named Mom and Dad, or that the title could be extended to cover my friends as well.)
      Strong (like bull!)
      'Ting Broke! (said in a West Indian accent)
      Theater lover (especially musicals and dance)
      Worker
      Hello, Goodbye, Merry Christmas! (The strangest collection ever! A collection of salutations!)
      Grattitude

    • Hilton should be videotaped and worshiped Sundays at dinner.

    • love, laughter, the meaning of friendship, brother, friend, so much more than friiend..................understanding why we are who we are, why we must create....dancer, lover of Vicki....one half of magic. Teacher, creator, buiilder of dreams, helper of dream building, mentor, generous giver of knowledge

    • How many craftspeople have said I do what I do because of Hilton and Vicki. They encouraged me, helped me, taught me, showed me the way, so many say.

    • From Al: stories, has been to so many places, done so many things...whenever he traveled he just added to the stories...............stories no one could match.
    • The music! The bourbon, the being there, the love, the butterfly tie, the tuxedo, the dirty dancing. The embracing of people, the gentle kindness. The energy, imagination, how he could make things happen. The builder of Guilds. The patron of craftspeople. Inspirer. Warmth, big smiles. Laughter. Cynic.

    • The seeing of the world from an off angle.

  • 2 hours ago
    Marsha Treiber

  • 2 hours ago
    Marsha Treiber
    • Hilton's tie is a monarch butterfly -- perfect!

  • about an hour ago
    Juan Gomez
    • Hilton,

      Movements of subtle gestures with elegant substance, which guides our hearts with profound experiences to enhance our lives.

      Bronze dancers and luminous crystals resonate with powerful sounds to touch even the strongest Lion in the Sahara.

      Such creative his force is, many gather in an amphitheater to listen observe also participate in the festive show of a true ARTIST who performs to create beauty to touch all our souls.

      A true traveler, dear to many lives touched through education and most important a wonderful human being.
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