Ronald Miles Brown Ronald Miles Brown was born March 19, 1931 in Riley, Kansas, the only child of the late Margaret Beninga (Brown) Armitage and James L. Brown. Educated in small town and one room rural schools, he entered the University of Colorado in 1947 and, upon graduation in 1951, became a secondary school teacher, barely older than many of his students. He received his masters degree in 1957, and was appointed to a position that eventually became Director of Financial Aid at his alma mater, a professional area in which he achieved a national reputation as it evolved in the 1960s. He and his family served with the Salzburg Seminar in American Studies 1964-65 and returned to Colorado briefly before he undertook doctoral study at the University of Michigan, only for him to become involved in financial aid administration again. He received the degree Doctor of Philosophy in 1971 and shortly thereafter became Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, where he served as a senior administrator for 18 years before resigning those responsibilities to be full-time Professor of Higher Education Administration, retiring in 2001. He married the former Marilou Diemer in 1959 and Robert Scott and John Patrick became his sons. Robert and Patricia have two children, Alec and Shealynn; Patrick and Donna have Ian, Brendon and Kathryn. They brought him support in the bad times and joy in the good. He had thousands of acquaintances, numerous friends and a few very special people who know who they are. Active in church work at many levels throughout his life, Ron was thrice Vestry member and twice Senior Warden of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and was a Trustee of the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest. He was a member of the Headliners Club and Tarry House and served on numerous public service committees, boards and foundations at the local and national levels. The later years of his life were devoted to bringing the finest in organ music to his church and the Austin community. He was usually a Democrat but always a democrat. Ron liked Scottish and West Highland White Terriers, flowers in bloom and bud and the Charleston. He enjoyed all of Mozart, most of Beethoven and some of Bach, all of them best when played on his favorite musical instrument, the pipe organ. A child of the high plains, he appreciated their spare beauty, yet he savored the wild movement of the seas and the sheltering embrace of trees. His favorite sport was travel and he managed to experience much of the worlds great natural and man-made wonders, from the Taj Mahal to Machu Picchu to the inimitable Shwedagon Pagoda, to the Salzkammergut, where aquamarine is defined. He enjoyed the visual arts of most eras and schools, but was enchanted by Monet and awed by Michelangelos David. He relished Osso Bucco, St. Veran (across the fence from Pouilly Fuisse), Beluga and Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy. Words were precious to him and he favored term limits on the use of commas. He hated no one, but did admit to impatience with those who see their lifes mission to be the supervision of the morals of everybody but themselves. He was much like a moon, giving off little light of his own yet radiant when reflecting the light of those around him but, like a moon, he had a dark side he showed to no one. Withal, he did more good than harm. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, 2005 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 9th at 1:00 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 3201 Windsor Road. Ron loved his family, friends and flowers but also worked for several cherished endeavors. The family would be honored with contributions made in his name. Ronald M. & Marilou D. Brown Scholarship Fund, Office of the Vice-President for Development, The University of Texas at Austin, P.O. Box 7458, Austin, Texas 78713-7458, 512-471-5424 The Organ Fund, c/o The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, P.O. Box 5176, Austin, Texas 78763, 512-476-3523. Memorials and guestbook online at wcfish.com
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