Son of Rotherham charity champion calls for minute's applause in memory of dad
Lee Brown passed away after raising over £100,000 for charities while battling rare cancer
A minute’s applause will be held for a much-loved Rotherham dad who raised tens of thousands for charity.
Lifelong Sheffield Wednesday fan Lee Brown, aged 50, passed away in hospital on August 20 after a 12-year battle with a rare form of cancer.
The Maltby-born dad, who spent his final years in Woodsetts, raised over £100,000 for charity in his lifetime, including £18,000 by selling football shirts with Dinnington FC, as well as a ‘virtual walk’ to all 92 UK football clubs during lockdown.
His son, Freddie Brown, 17, from Bakewell, told The Star: “He was a lifelong fan. It meant everything to him.
“When I was born, he didn’t go straight to the hospital - he stopped at the Hillsborough Megastore first to get me a little Wednesday scarf.
“We went to every game we could. I always looked forward to them throughout the week - when you’re having a bad day, you’ve always got football with your dad on Saturday.
“I’m going to cherish the memories.”
The last game Lee and Freddie saw together was the celebrated ‘first game of the new era’ in May 2026, when Wednesday triumphed over West Brom 2-1.
Lee fought a 12-year battle with terminal cancer. He was diagnosed in 2016 with a terminal gastrointestinal stromal tumour, also known as ‘gist.’
Throughout his journey, which included chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, he raised tens of thousands for GIST Cancer UK and well over £100,000 for local causes. He ran over 350 marathons.
Freddie is now calling on his dad’s beloved club and fellow fans to mark his passing with applause at the 50th minute when Wednesday play Bromley this Saturday, August 29.
Freddie said: “His cancer was always terminal but he was really positive and faced it head on.
“A lot of people knew him - I’m amazed at the amount of messages I’ve had from people saying they knew him.”
Meanwhile, a post on a Facebook page where Lee charted his fundraising, ‘Lee Brown taking the GIST,’ reads: “Lee passed peacefully and without pain, surrounded by the people who loved him. His family and friends were by his bedside, holding his hands and making sure he knew he was not alone.
“As heartbreaking as losing Lee is, we find comfort in knowing that his final moments were peaceful, that he was surrounded by love, and that he was cared for every step of the way.”