Edward Joseph Brown

Born February 8, 1924, in Chicago, IL, Ed served in the United States Navy during World War II. He spent seven years in the military and competed as a boxer during that time. He met his wife, Ruth, in Miami in 1946, and they married seven months later. They remained married for 71 years, until his death. Throughout his life, Ed worked in advertising and marketing. In 1973, he and Ruth moved to Jacksonville, where Ed started his own advertising firm and assisted Ruth in opening Flower Garden Early Education Center on Park Street for almost 20 years.

Ed received his Fourth Degree from the Knights of Columbus at Saint Paul Catholic Church, in Riverside. He and Ruth aggregated the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Paul’s, helping the needy in the Jacksonville community. Ed and Ruth’s service to Jacksonville was recognized in 2001 when they were selected to be the Citizens of the Year by the Northeast Florida Unit of the National Association of Social Workers.

Ed is survived by his wife Ruth, his son Ed, his grandson Ed, his granddaughter Nancy Ann and great-granddaughter, Brielle, all who live in Wisconsin. Hardage-Giddens Riverside Memorial Park & Funeral Home is serving the family. A memorial Mass will be held in his honor on Thursday, February 8, 2018, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 2609 Park St., Jacksonville, FL, 32204, at 10:30am, followed by a repast. His ashes will be laid to rest at Jacksonville National Cemetery, 4083 Lannie Rd., Jacksonville, FL, 32218, at 2pm. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, any gifts in memory of Ed be donated to St. Paul’s Catholic Church or the St. Vincent de Paul Society.