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J. W. Brown

Funeral services for Mr. J. W. Brown will be 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, February 21, 2017, at Fairview Church with Dr. Jon Akin and Dr. Rocky Ramsey officiating. Interment will follow at Wilson County Memorial Gardens.  Visitation Monday 4-7 PM at Ligon & Bobo, and Tuesday after 9 AM at the church.

Mr. Brown, age 88 of Lebanon passed away Saturday, February 18, 2017, at his home, with the buttercups in full bloom.

Born October 15, 1928, in Wilson County, he is the son of the late Horace and Grace Bingham Brown. He accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior at the age of 17, and was a member of Fairview Church for 57 years, where he served as music director for over 30 years, and deacon in his later years.  He was a 1946 graduate of Lebanon High School, and was an all-conference left end on the storied 1945 undefeated and untied conference championship team.  After attending Cumberland University on a football scholarship, he received a Masters’ Degree in teaching from George Peabody College.  He was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart while serving his country as a second lieutenant in the United States Army during the Korean War. Mr. Brown was affiliated with Frazier-Brown Insurance Agency for over 33 years, first as a partner, then as owner, then again as partner, when his youngest son, Jeff, later joined him in the agency. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a grandson, Nolan Jeffries Brown.

Mr. Brown loved his Lord, loved his family, loved his friends, loved his country, and loved his homemade ice cream.

He is survived by his wife of sixty four years, Mary Ann Turner Brown; four children, Steve (Caroline) Brown, Mark (Ginger) Brown, Betsy (Rocky) Ramsey, and Jeff (Melanie) Brown; grandchildren, Erin Brown, Sarah Ramsey, Emily Ramsey (Matt) Windham, Jarod (Brooke) Brown, Austin (Anna) Brown, and Bailey Brown; great grandchildren, Brady & Natalie Qualls, and Ezra & Bingham Windham.

Honorary pallbearers: Senior Adult Men of Fairview Church, Carroll Community Club, Rick Janes, Karen Doxtater, Mike Kurtz, Tim Bennett, Benny Ligon, and David Beal.

Active pallbearers: Jarod Brown, Austin Brown, Matt Windham, Wesley Turner, Kelly Queener, and Scott Turner.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Empower Me Center, P. O. Box 672, Lebanon, TN 37088

LIGON & BOBO FUNERAL HOME of Lebanon (615)444-2142   www.ligonbobo.com

Messages for the Family

  1. Marilyn Denney Blankenship says:
    My heartfelt condolences for your loss.
  2. Tommy Reeder says:
    I am so sorry for your loss I thought a lot of your father. I had insurance coverage with him for several years. I went to school with Steve and Betsy was in my class we was good friends. This is a very nice family and your father will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to Betsy and all the family during their loss.
  3. Bobbie Bell says:
    Steve, your daddy was a really fine man & a good Christian. I’ll keep you & your family in my prayers.
  4. Charnell Stephens Johnson says:
    My dad, John Stephens, thought the world of your dad and mom. I remember he talked fondly of him. He and your mom raised a great family and I think of all of you as friends. May God give you peace as you reflect on how he made a difference in our world. Just as a study of famous characters in school, a study of his life would teach us how to make a difference in the lives of others.
    • Steve Brown says:
      I had not thought about your dad in a while, but thinking back, yes, they were good friends and respected one another so much. I always enjoyed all the Aut Force model planes your Dad kept n display in his office.
  5. Elaine Tyree Freeman says:
    Heartfelt sympathy to the entire Brown family. My mother, Doris Tyree, enjoyed her years of working for Mr. Brown and Jeff. Mr. Brown was a true gentleman and will be missed by our community. May all of you find the peace God will lead you toward during this time.
  6. Janice Goodall Theoret says:
    Steve, how blessed you and your family were to have so many cherished years with your Dad. I always remember him with a smile on his face.
  7. Angela Bishop says:
    I will always remember all the days that JW came to visit me at the church and always said, “hey, I got a joke, wanna hear it”? I was honored to be his friend and loved him very much. Jim, Zach and I are praying for you all from here at home in Houston.
  8. Ben and Evelyn Purnell says:
    Ben and I send our sincere sympathy to the Brown family. I know he was a rock for you all.
  9. Joy Danches says:
    Steve, my thoughts are with you and prayers for peace. I don’t think I ever met your Dad, but based on what I read, he was a fine man, whom you appear to resemble in many ways.
  10. Elmie Ruck says:
    So sorry for your loss.
  11. Elaine Mount says:
    I am sad to hear this. I was at Fairview years ago when Mr. Brown led music. Also loved seeing him at Joseph Storehouse with Mary Ann as prayer counselors. J.W. you will be missed by all who knew you Sir!
  12. Chrissa Jennings says:
    God bless you all. Losing a parent is tough. You have beautiful memories. My prayers are with you.
  13. Candace Denney says:
    Prayers are being lifted up for you, your precious mother and all of your family. Your dad was so special and always had an encouraging way about him. He and your mom were so sweet to us when we were members at Fairview and every time we saw them.
  14. Paul & Betty Leftrick says:
    Our thoughts & prayers are with you at this time. We extend our sincere sympathy to you all. Paul & Betty (Buckingham) Leftrick
  15. Paul & Betty (Buckingham) Leftrick says:
    Paul & I extend our sincere sympathy to you in the loss of your husband, dad, and grand dad. God bless you all.
  16. Rick and Hollie says:
    J. W. Brown is an amazing man. We will miss him greatly. I will miss the surprise watermelons and tomatoes at our door. His random visits to our house complete with a funny story or joke.
    With his passing from this earthly world, there will be a huge spot missing. I honestly can say without a doubt, Mr. Brown is in Heaven and God said, Welcome my son, YOU DID GOOD!!
  17. Jerry Franklin(Bonanza/Ponderosa) says:
    Those of us fortunate enough to know JW are blessed. A fantastic American, neighbor and friend. I wish our country could all share the attributes that he had. We wish the very best to his family in their loss , and we thank them for sharing JW with us!
  18. Barry Tatum says:
    I’m so very sorry for your loss. Just heard of it this morning. What a wonderful legacy full of special memories. This absence is temporary as we will get to see him again one day.
  19. Angel & Bobby Harris (on Brown Rd) says:
    “Tears are sometimes an inappropriate response to death. When a life has been lived completely honestly, completely successfully, or just completely, the correct response to death’s perfect punctuation mark is a smile.”
    -Julie Burchill

    It seems he has lived a wonderful life! We sure will miss seeing that blue truck and smiling face! Our thoughts are with the family.

  20. jim gann says:
    Jeff, So sorry to hear about your Dad. He was a fine person.