Roll Call Tribute

Rader Funeral Home obituary
401 N. Martin
Kilgore, TX 75662
903-984-2525
info@raderfuneralhome.com

Frank E. Brown, Jr.
February 15, 1930 - November 10, 2013

Services for Francis E. Brown, Jr., 83, of Kilgore; better known to family and friends as Frank, will be 2 pm, Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at the First Presbyterian Church with Reverend Scott Nowack officiating. Burial will follow in Henry’s Chapel Cemetery, Cherokee County, Texas. Mr. Brown died Sunday afternoon November 10, 2013 at his home.

Frank was born on February 15, 1930 to Allie Bob and Francis Brown in Louisville, Kentucky. As a young boy his family moved to East Texas where five generations had migrated from Bibb County, Alabama. He lived in Marshall, then attended elementary school in Longview and graduated from Kilgore High School in 1947. After attending Kilgore College and enjoying engineering under Dr. Samuel Canterbury, Frank attended the A & M College of Texas but only for a short time before lack of finances would have him move to Denton where he was able to live with family and complete his education in 1951 receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from North Texas State University.

Frank was employed by Mid-Valley Pipeline Company, a division of Sun and Sohio Pipeline after graduating college. In 1970, he began Brown Measurement & Equipment Company serving Arkansas, northern Louisiana, East Texas and later Houston and the Gulf Coast region. In the early 1980’s, he became co-owner and Vice Chairman of General Valve/Johnston Pump of Glendale, California and Brookshire,Texas until it was sold in 1993. He would sell Brown Measurement after 25 years of work leading him into retirement and continued labor at his Triple B Ranch near Henry’s Chapel.

Frank was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon, an elder, and on various church committees. During his years in business, he was active locally in the East Texas Pipeline Association and internationally in the American Petroleum Institute where he served as a United States representative writing guidelines and standards for petroleum measurement.

He was chairman of the board of Kilgore National Bank. He served as President of the Board of Directors for Lake Cherokee, Roy H Laird Country Club, Roy H Laird Hospital, Laird Hospital Foundation, East Texas Treatment Center, Kilgore College Foundation, as one of the founding directors of the Texas Shakespeare Festival Foundation, and as board member and president of the Kilgore Economic Development Corporation. He also served on the board and as president of Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation where he was a diligent worker re-creating Kilgore's Derrick skyline as well as instrumental in the purchase of Kilgore’s old post office building for the future Kilgore History and Art Center. Frank served the City of Kilgore on its Planning and Zoning and Community Development committees. He was honored to be chosen as the Citizen of the Year in 1994 by the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Sue Martin Brown of Kilgore, one son Brent Alan Brown and wife Anne and one grandson Elliott Lawrence Brown of Dallas, nieces Susan Johnston Dietz of McAllen and Kathleen Johnston Reynolds of San Antonio along with sisters-in-law Mary Gene Martin Butler and husband Jack of Garland and Lynda Joyce Shuttlesworth and husband Richard of Plano.

Frank is preceded in death by his parents, sister Caroline Brown and her husband Royce Johnston of Kingsville, and his mother-in-law Gladys Kersh Martin of Troup.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be shared to the First Presbyterian Church Property Fund, Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation "old post office" renovation, 105 North Kilgore St. Kilgore, Texas 75662, East Texas Treatment Center, or charity of choice.

The family will receive friends Tuesday evening between 6:00 and 7:30 at Rader Funeral Home.