'Alaskan Bush People' Matt Brown's Brother Shares Touching Tribute After Death

"Alaskan Bush People" star Matt Brown's death is taking a toll on his brother, Bear Brown ... and he's letting his emotions out for all to see.

Bear shared a touching tribute to his late brother on social media after Matt's body was recovered from a river ... posting a picture of him and Matt standing side-by-side holding rifles and opening up about what Matt meant to him.

Matt's brother remembers him as "intelligent, curious, creative, and endlessly fascinated by the world around him."

In the lengthy caption, Bear remembers all the things Matt loved ... being outdoors, adventuring, and teaching himself new skills and languages.

Bear also said Matt "spent many years battling serious mental health challenges and addiction."

Even though Matt was estranged from his family, they never lost hope. They say ... "Like countless families facing similar circumstances, we experienced periods of hope, recovery, setbacks, heartbreak, and reconciliation. Our Dad, Billy Brown, never stopped believing in Matt’s ability to heal and find peace, and neither did we."

Matt's family doesn't want him to be remembered only for the "painful chapters" of his life, adding ... "Some of those chapters caused hurt, and we do not minimize that. At the same time, we do not believe any person’s life should be defined solely by their lowest moments."

As we reported, Bear went on TikTok over the weekend to announce Matt's death, saying he'd taken his own life. The Okanogan County Sheriff's Office confirmed his body had been found by a private search party on Saturday and recovered from a river.

Bottom line from Matt's family ... "He was imperfect. He was human. He was deeply loved. And he will be missed beyond words."