David "Big Dave" Conway Brown

David "Big Dave" Conway Brown broke many hearts on Friday, May 31, 2024, when he left us to be reunited with his dad. In Charlotte, NC, surrounded by those most dear to him and while listening to some much-loved tunes, we parted ways with a larger-than-life man. David was born in Durham, NC, and moved to Murphreesboro, Tennessee, when he was 10 years old. There he attended Franklin Road Christian School, where he excelled in basketball, until the summer after his Sophomore year when he moved to Charlotte, NC.

Dave made his life all over the Carolinas before beginning his family in Charlotte and the Tega Cay and Fort Mill, SC areas. He is survived by his two children, David Conway Brown Jr. and Anna Lyndsay Brown; his brother, Mark Moss (Tess and Marissa Moss); his sister, Blair Wilkerson (Travis, Wolf, and Wyatt Wilkerson); and his mothers, Sylvia Brown and Phyllis Mills; beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins; and a team of loyal and meaningful connections that give new meaning to the word 'friends’.

David excelled in football (#88 on the team) and was ranked #2 in the country in debate while at Independence High School in Charlotte. After high school, he embarked on a varied career journey, selling professional photos at Walmart, selling waterbeds at Carolina Bedroom, selling cars at Town and Country Ford (under the leadership of Bruton Smith), and various other roles that involved… sales.

On September 2nd, 1995, he married Gina Merchant in a ceremony that incorporated many loved ones, including students from Gina’s first grade class. David and Gina had first met at Independence High School in 11th-grade English. After high school, an unusual fate brought them together again at a club called Neon. While living in Monroe, NC, they were first blessed with David Jr “Little Dave” and later built a home in Tega Cay where they were again blessed with a baby girl, Anna (named for David’s paternal grandmother). They were married for 19 years.

It wasn’t until he began his career in the equipment rental industry that he found his true professional calling in the form of the Fortune 500 company, United Rentals. He never tired of hearing even the miniscule details of construction and building projects all over the world and as United Rentals grew, so did his interest and involvement with every nook and cranny of the company’s dealings. UR itself became a main character in Big Dave’s life and a whole new source of friends, family, and pride.

In 2004 and as part of United Rentals, he played an important role in transforming the Nascar race party into one of the largest UR customer appreciation events in the company. The annual United Rentals Family Reunion, in association with Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Bank of America Roval 400, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Speedway Children’s Charities.

Big Dave regularly insisted that his beloved United Rentals could be seen and recognized EVERYWHERE. Including at Bank of America Stadium where he proudly displayed the partnership by putting the UR mark on a beautiful luxury box where he hosted colleagues and their most valued customers for years, and never without all of the Krispie Kreme glazed donuts one could eat.

After being a member of the Steel Erectors Association of America for years, in 2014, he began his first of many terms serving on the Board of Directors. To quote the SEAA website, “Dave and United Rentals have been an important source of support to help make SEAA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show and Educational Fundraiser Golf Tournament great successes for over 25 years.”

Later, In 2017, David was named Person of the Year by the SEAA, saying, “Known by his friends as “Big” Dave, for his big ideas, big heart, and boisterous personality, Brown doesn’t hesitate to offer an opinion and often outside-the-box thinking.

Described by many as a generous individual, Brown “willingly volunteers his time, ideas, contacts, and money to promote and advance SEAA projects. He thinks big,” said Eddie Williams, Chairman of Buckner Companies.

One of his most successful schemes is the Boom Lift Ball Drop, which has become a favorite activity and fundraiser for the SEAA Education Committee, providing seed money for the launch of the Ironworker Craft Training and Apprenticeship Program. At this year’s convention he also spearheaded a silent auction, supported by Trade Show vendors. Together, these two big ideas have generated more than $10,000 to support education programming and grants.” https://web.seaa.net/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=169

Being that his parents were born and raised in Durham, NC, David came to see Duke Basketball as another beloved friend from an early age and grew to be one of the loudest and most boisterous Blue Devil fans many had ever seen. Fond memories of attending games at Cameron Indoor Stadium as a kid with his dad and Papa Brown (his paternal grandfather) carried over into adulthood and took on new meaning in the form of a collection of sports memorabilia, particularly an autographed ball signed by Coach K after his 1,000th win against St John’s at Madison Square Garden.

A visitation will be held from 1:00pm - 3:00pm on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at Wilson Funeral Home & Cremation Service 5301 Albemarle Road, Charlotte, NC 28212-3611.

Followed by a celebration to honor his life from 3:00pm - 6:00pm at The Ballroom at Charlotte Motor Speedway 5555 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, NC 28027

Attendees are encouraged to wear Duke and/or United Rentals blue to let the family know that you are also family. Other… lighter blues… are not recommended.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Speedway Children’s Charities: https://www.speedwaycharities.org/donate/

Please share your pictures, memories, and stories of David "Big Dave" Conway Brown in the provided spaces. And if you are a Spotify subscriber, you can listen to some of the music that he was most passionate about here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5UFCF04sYKHjOjIAtIvnNS?si=hfgAkSFeRmC6tVZQeBmhng&pi=u-QNUO5AqoT2uf

Let's remember him in the most joyous and loving way, just as he would have wanted.