Former Calhoun County Sheriff B.B. Browning dies at 87

Former Calhoun County Sheriff Burnard Boyd "B.B." Browning, a dedicated lawman who shaped the county’s fight against drugs and mentored generations of deputies, died Saturday at the age of 87.

Browning, who served as sheriff from Jan. 1, 1997, until his retirement Jan. 1, 2013, was widely respected for his leadership, fairness and unwavering commitment to public service.

Calhoun County Sheriff Bobbie Vickery, who worked for Browning for 12 years and considered him a mentor, shared his deep sorrow at the loss of his longtime colleague and friend.

 “Today we lost one of the great pillars of our community,” Vickery said. “Past Sheriff B.B. Browning served our community with pride for 16 years. He was an extremely incredible man, Sheriff, and he was my mentor, even up until the end. He was a great inspiration for me and a lot of other law enforcement personnel, as well as other community leaders in this community, and he is going to be greatly missed.”

Vickery wasn’t the only law enforcement officer that Browning mentored. His impact extended across generations of officers, including Renette Todd, who also looked up to him as a guiding force in her career.

“I met B.B. when he hired me basically on the spot in 1999,” said Todd, who worked for Browning for 13 years. “He gave me an application to bring back after the weekend. I watched his demeanor when working and in the public eye. I decided I wanted to be just like him and help the community be better and more successful and productive. B.B. encouraged me and never put a limit on me. He believed in me. He quickly became a father figure to me and I never wanted to disappoint him. He was the best boss, friend and supporter. He wanted everyone to be a better person. I loved him so much. He never met a stranger and treated everyone equally. My career path was paved by him and I became a better deputy and person.”

Browning’s law enforcement career began when he helped found the Calhoun County Sheriff's Reserves. He was later appointed constable, a role he held for 21 years before deciding to run for sheriff.

One of the defining aspects of his tenure was his determination to combat drugs in the county. After taking office, he quickly established a task force dedicated to targeting drug traffickers. The mission was never far from his mind — photos of drug seizures and confiscated money, along with a large marijuana leaf, were displayed beneath the glass top of his desk as a constant reminder of the battle he and his team were fighting.

“We fought drugs, and drugs are still here, but we got several million dollars of drugs off the streets,” Browning once said. “My philosophy was simple: ‘Be nice.’ I always wanted my people to be courteous. My people seemed to take to that.”

Browning received three federal grants totaling $1 million to fund drug enforcement efforts. In one instance, his department discovered a mobile drug lab inside a grain-hauling truck after pulling it over on State Highway 35. The hidden lab, concealed within the trailer, fell out of the vehicle upon inspection. Another major bust revealed that drugs were being smuggled into the county by boat along the Texas coast.

Though he was born as Burnard Boyd Browning, he was known simply as "B.B." since arriving in Calhoun County in 1963 to work as a mud engineer for Baroid, an oil service company.

One evening, he noticed a petite brunette across the room and was immediately drawn to her. Her name was Tiney and their connection was instant. A few months later, they were married and Browning embraced his new life in the community, seeking opportunities to give back and make a difference.

He later joined Union Carbide in 1965, where he worked for 31 years before transitioning into law enforcement full-time.

His decision to pursue a career in law enforcement was inspired by his admiration for the McCulloch County sheriff during his youth. 

“I’ve always had an admiration for law enforcement,” Browning once said. “I always wanted people to do good.”

Browning made history as Calhoun County’s longest-serving consecutive sheriff. 

During his retirement celebration in 2012, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office surprised Browning with a party at the Commissioners' Court. His wife, Tiney Browning, who once served as mayor of Port Lavaca, orchestrated the distraction to ensure he wouldn’t suspect the event.

“We worked well together, me as sheriff and she as mayor,” Browning recalled at the time. “People called us town and country.”

 Browning’s service was recognized on a statewide level when he received the Tom Tellepsen Award at the Sheriff’s Association of Texas Annual Banquet in 2012. The award, considered the highest honor in the field, was something he had long admired.

“I couldn’t hardly walk up to the podium,” Browning said at the time. “I was a little weak in the knees, but it felt good to be nominated.”

 A lasting legacy

Though Browning retired from law enforcement, his impact on Calhoun County endures. Those who worked alongside him remember him as a mentor, a leader and a friend who believed in the people he served.

“I will miss the people,” Browning said upon his retirement. “I have good people working for me. My philosophy is get good people around you and they’ll get the job done.”

Browning was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Tiney Browning. He is survived by his daughter, Tanya Lenise Browning of Port Lavaca, and his son, Bryan Alan Browning.

His legacy as a dedicated lawman, mentor and community leader will not soon be forgotten.

Funeral arrangements are pending at this time and will be updated as available.