Construction management sophomore Nicholas Reid Brown passed away early Sunday morning in his San Diego home due to an unexplained seizure that caused his heart to stop.
Nick’s mother, Gina Brown, said her son had a low-grade fever all week and was taken to the emergency room Saturday when it got worse. Doctors sent him home, seeing no reason to keep in the ER.
Paramedics responded to Nick’s seizure Sunday morning and performed CPR, but were unable to restart his heart.
“Doctors have done an autopsy,” Gina Brown said. “They don’t know what caused it.”
Nick had two brothers, Mitchell Brown, who lives in Mesa, Ariz. and Austin Brown, who attends Northern Arizona University. His parents are Gina and Greg Brown.
Brown was an associate member of Phi Sigma Kappa (Phi Sig).
Phi Sig President Wyatt Carr said the fraternity held a small service Sunday with all of the brothers, where they talked about Brown, said prayers and gave thanks for the time they were able to spend with him.
“He was so positive. He was always smiling, he had such an infectious smile,” Carr said. “He was such a good guy. He always wanted to talk to you. He was exactly the kind of guy you would want in your fraternity.”
Gina Brown also said that Nick loved his fraternity and was very proud to have been pledging Phi Sig.
“He loved it so much,” Brown said. “It made him so happy.”
Phi Sig is holding its philanthropy event, Dunk the UPD (University Police Department), in Brown’s honor this Thursday at 11 a.m. on Dexter Lawn. All the proceeds from the event will go to his funeral service, according to Carr.
Phi Sig has also started the “Nick Brown Memorial Fund” on generosity.com, where it has surpassed its $2,000 goal in less than five hours.
Carr wrote on the website that $2,000 was “in no way a cap, (he) just thought it would be a good starting point.”
Brown’s memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 4 at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church at 16275 Pomerado Road in Poway, California.
Cal Poly counseling services are available to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling (805) 756-2511.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) also provides confidential counseling services to all Cal Poly employees and their families. Their 24-hour hotline can be called at (800) 367-7474.
“The important thing to know about Nicky is he that loved the Lord, his family, friends and his new fraternity with his entire heart and soul,” Brown said. “And food. Nicky really loved good food. Everything he did, he gave it 100 percent — always.”