Mpls, MN - Michael Dennis Browne, acclaimed poet and librettist, loving husband and father, and adored granddad, died at age 85 on March 29th. He died peacefully and was surrounded by family.

Michael Dennis Browne was born on May 28, 1940 in Walton-on-Thames, England. He attended St. George's College, Hull and Oxford Universities and graduated with a BA in Swedish and French. He came to the United States in 1965 as a Fulbright Scholar where he attended the University of Iowa and received an MA in English in 1969. While still a student at Iowa, he began publishing poems in The New Yorker.

After leaving Iowa he taught at Columbia and Bennington before settling in Minneapolis. He taught creative writing at the University of Minnesota from 1971-2010. He was a beloved teacher and over the course of his long career many of his students went on to distinguished careers of their own as writers and poets. He was well known for the number of poems he knew by heart and often found ways to bring them in at just the right moment into conversation or the classroom or readings. Students who had the good fortune to work with him will never forget him.

Browne was a founding member of The Loft, a literary organization with a national reputation based in Minneapolis which supports the development of writers as well as audiences for literature.

Browne published fifteen books, mostly poetry, but also books of prose about poetry and children's books. His most recent books were Chimes, a book of short poems, and Build Me a Boat,a book of poems that he wrote as a librettist.

Browne began writing poems for music in the late 1960s. He often collaborated with composer Stephen Paulus. Their post-Holocaust oratorio, To Be Certain of the Dawn, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in music by the Minnesota Orchestra. Other composers he worked with include John Foley S.J., Carolyn Jennings, Juliana Hall, David Evan Thomas, Tim Takach and Craig Hella Johnson, with whom he recently collaborated on Considering Matthew Shepard.

The Road Home, written in collaboration with Paulus, has become a contemporary classic and has been performed hundreds of times around the world including at the funeral of Jimmy Carter.

Browne received many awards and honors over his long career including a Minnesota State Arts Board fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and a Bush fellowship . He was twice recipient of the Minnesota Book Award in poetry.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Michael would often say his greatest achievements in his life were his children and grandchildren. He was known for his silly jokes, funny accents, unwavering support, deep love and devotion to the people lucky enough to call him husband, dad and granddad.

Michael Dennis Browne is survived by his wife Lisa McLean and children Peter McLean-Browne, Mary (Marc) Sylvestre, Nellie (James Kwon) McLean-Browne and beloved grandchildren Julia, Henry and Ben Sylvestre and Emory and Elio McLean Kwon.

He was preceded in death by his parents Edgar and Winifred Dennis Browne and sisters Angela Matthews and Mary Browne. He is survived by his brother Peter Browne.

The funeral will be on May 15th, 11am at the The Church of St. Cecilia 2357 Bayless Pl, St. Paul, MN 55114 with visitation at 10am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Little Hospice, 7019 Lynmar Lane Edina, MN 55435, where Michael was so lovingly cared for in his final days. Donations are also welcome to support Unidos MN Education Fund, 1515 E Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55407.