James Drake Brown, 91, of Glastonbury, passed away peacefully on July 21st, 2013. He was the beloved husband of Carolyn Peyton Oliver Brown. Jim was born in Hampton, VA on Dec. 10, 1921, a son of the late Col. William Goss Brown of Rye, NH & Ivy Nora Quick of Elton, Louisiana.
He was educated in Rye, NH and graduated from High School in Baton Rouge, LA, and from LSU in 1942. He then joined the U.S. Navy and was sent to MIT to study aeronautical engineering. After completion of those studies he married Carolyn and spent the remainder of WWII at the newly commissioned Pawtuxet River Naval Test Air Station in Maryland.
Following WWII, Jim was employed at Westinghouse and later at Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT, where he served for many years as a sales engineer. He was especially proud of his work during the early years of the development of fuel cell technology. In this role he enjoyed travels within the U.S. and Japan.
Jim was a member of South Glastonbury Congregational Church and Rye Congregational Church in Rye, NH; Orchard Hills Club, Glastonbury, CT, which he helped in founding; and LSU Alumni Association. He threw his heart into serving on the Rye, NH Planning Board as member and as a chairman for many years.
Jim was a sax player in the marching band both at Baton Rouge, LA High School and later at LSU. This love of music and his life in the South led to a deep love of New Orleans Jazz. On trips to New Orleans Jim and Carolyn became friendly with many in the New Orleans Jazz Society. He was a devoted fan of traditional jazz in New England, where he and Carolyn often rendezvoused with their favorite groups.
Jim was an avid skier. He was particularly excited about his downhill runs in the Bugaboos, British Columbia, during a trip for helicopter skiing. He was very proud of becoming, in his seventies, a Certified Ski Instructor. He loved hiking and generously shared his passion for the White Mountains with family and friends alike.
Jim was known as a straight shooter and a square dealer, always living up to a very high code of personal ethics, reaching out to many with a helping hand.
Jim is survived by his wife of 69 years, Carolyn Peyton Oliver Brown, who became the love of his life during their years at LSU. They celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary on July 8th of this year. Also surviving are his children: W. Stephen Brown & his wife Judy of Freeport, ME and their daughters, Amy Brown of Brooklyn, NY and Anna Brown & her husband Colin Cheney and their daughter Mirabelle, currently of Bangkok, Thailand; Dr. Philip A. Brown, his wife Lynn and their children Max and Katya of Tunbridge, VT; Nancy Drake Brown of East Hartford, CT and her daughter Chelsea of Portland, OR; his sisters: Louise Oliver & her husband Robert of Fort Worth, TX and Evelyn Southworth Johnson & her husband J. D. Johnson of Wichita, KS, as well as many cherished nieces & nephews, plus a large extended family, from East coast to West and from South to North.
The family wishes to thank Danette Brown and the wonderful staff at Buckingham Estates, as well as the skilled and caring Ten-Nine C-P team at St. Francis Hospital.
Visiting hours are Friday, July 26th from 4-7:00pm at Glastonbury Funeral Home, 450 New London Tnpk, Glastonbury, CT. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, July 27 at 11:00am, South Glastonbury Congregational Church. A Memorial Service and burial will be on September 7th in Central Cemetery, Rye NH, where he spent many fond years among family and community members.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s memory to South Glastonbury Congregational Church, 949 Main Street, South Glastonbury, CT 06073; Rye Congregational Church, 580 Washington Road, Rye, NH 03870; or to the National MS Society, Greater New England Chapter, P.O. Box 845945, Boston, MA 02284-5945. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.glastonburyfuneral.com
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