He was born January 7, 1908, in Grafton, Nebraska, the son of Arthur John and Rhoda Ellen (Wheeler) Brown. He attended grade school at the rural Blue Mound School in St. Clair County, east of Rockville. He was a 1926 graduate of Appleton
City High School. In 1929, he went to Washington, D.C., to attend George  Washington University for four years and to play on the G.W.U. football team.

On August 4, 1934, he was married. The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1984. He was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in 1942, serving in World War II and Korea. He retired from the Army in 1962 and worked for the Federal Government until 1974. After retiring he had homes in Falls Church, Virginia, and Nags Head, North Carolina.

Survivors include: his wife, Avis, of the home; six children, James Brown, of Potomac, Maryland, Jeanne Marie Brown of Burke, Virginia, Judy Brown of Falls Church, Jerry Brown of Plano, Texas, John Brown of Chino Hills, Calif., and Janet Allen of Blacksburg, Virginia; two brothers, Crawford Brown of Spokane, Washington, and Newton Brown of Joplin; two sisters, Iona Wabaunsee of Tigard, Oregon and Mrs. Allen (Mary) Laflen of Moundville; 15 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Services were held Wednesday, March 22, at the Fort Myer Chapel, Fort Myer, Virginia. Interment with military honors was in Arlington National Cemetery.

Honorary pallbearers were grandsons, Matthew Brown, Stephen Brown and Joseph Brown, and grandsons-in-law, Tim Donlon, Dan Thompson, and nephew Leo Mahoney.