The founder of The Kiva, who was also a former Eugene city councilor and beloved community member, died last month. George Brown was 79.
Brown started The Kiva in an old garage in 1970. It began as a bookstore, but eventually, Brown took over nearby grocery stores before moving to the downtown location where The Kiva stands today, offering a full selection of grocery and deli items.
Brown was at the store every day, sweeping the roof, tending to the garden and running the register.
Melissa Brown, George’s wife and business partner, said he especially loved interacting with customers.
“He was always interested to talk with people about their gardens and what they were reading and what they were cooking,” Melissa said.
She added that he loved the food and wine, but his biggest passion was “really, really the books.”
Brown was also a Eugene city council member from 2009 to 2017, known for being prepared and passionate for meetings and proposals.
“He wanted things to be fair. He was really committed, he read every single packet, every contract, everything,” Melissa recalled. “His big thing was, who benefits and who pays.”
After leaving politics, Brown returned to the store, where he continued working and talking with customers until last year.
Brown had suffered with a vascular condition, and was receiving hospice care at home when he passed away.
Melissa said her husband’s best friend of 73 years was with them when he passed. “That’s pretty rare for people to have friendships that last their whole lifetime,” she said, choking up. “I think that just speaks to who he was. This was a really good human and friend.”
Brown took great pride in keeping downtown Eugene looking good, planting trees and gardens in the area. Now, those trees continue to remind her of him.
“All of the things that he enjoyed seeing every day and touched him are.. it's comforting for me. I really love seeing the trees that he planted,” she told KLCC. “I just miss him a lot already.”
