Roll Call Tribute

Pace Stancil Funeral Home obituary

Darrell Wayne Brown
(September 18, 1935 - October 15, 2011)

Darrell Wayne Brown, 76, of Dayton died Saturday, October 15, 2011 in College Station, Texas. He was born September 18, 1935 in Baytown, Texas to parents RC and Genevieve Stoesser Brown. Darrell grew up in Dayton, Texas were he played numerous sports, lettering in Baseball and Football as a member of the class 1953. He graduated from Texas A&M College in 1957 and obtained his Masters in Agriculture in 1960. While at A&M he played football under Bear Bryant and was one of the Junction Boys. He was a County Agent for several years, then returned to Dayton to farm with his brothers. He was an avid gardner and a member of the American Rice Growers Association since 1968. Darrell was a member of First Baptist Church Dayton where he was a Deacon and a Sunday School teacher.

Services for Mr. Brown will be 10:00 a.m., October 18, 2011 at First Baptist Church with Rev. Dale Hill and Rev. Randy Piatt officiating. Interment will follow at Magnolia Park Cemetery under the direction of Pace-Stancil Funeral Home, Dayton. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday, October 17, 2011 at Pace-Stancil Funeral Home, Dayton.

Darrell was preceded in death by his parents; brothers: Roger Brown and Bernie Brown He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Betty Gaskill Brown of Dayton; daughter: Brenda Lueders and husband David of Denver, Colorado; sons: Barry Brown and wife Dachelle of Huffman, Bryant Brown and wife Vonda Kay of San Antonio; his grandchildren: Meghan, Matt, and Mitchell Lueders, Carri, Casey and Christy Brown, and Andy and Avery Brown; his brothers: Gene Brown and wife Mary of Dayton and Don Brown and wife Nancy of Dayton; his brother-in-law: Richard Gaskill and wife Diane of Pensacola, Florida; also numerous other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers memorial may be made to the First Baptist Church Dayton.
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One of A&M's legendary 'Junction Boys' dies
Brown died during a visit to the school

By CINDY HORSWELL, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Saturday, October 22, 2011

[Photo]
Darrell Brown, 76, participated in the grueling 1954 training camp led by then-A&M coach Paul "Bear" Bryant./ family photo

Darrell Brown, 76, participated in the grueling 1954 training...

Darrell Brown, who left a small farm town east of Houston with dreams of playing football at Texas A&M University during the record-breaking drought of the 1950s, died Oct. 15 during a visit to the campus.
He was 76.

Brown was a walk-on player who won a scholarship after earning the right to be called one of the legendary "Junction Boys."

It was a title bestowed on survivors of a grueling 10-day training camp conducted by then-A&M coach Paul "Bear" Bryant in the West Texas town of Junction. Not many athletes were able to withstand the dawn-to-dusk workouts in the sweltering heat, with players given only two wet towels to share for water.

The 1954 training camp, later recounted in a book and a movie, was an experience that Brown, who lived in Dayton, said he never forgot. He regularly attended reunions with other players, including Gene Stallings and Jack Pardee, who both went on to football fame.

Devoted to Bryant
Brown even named one of his sons after Bryant. Of 600 namesakes linked to Bryant's players and associates, Brown's son, Bryant Brown, was recognized as the oldest by the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Two of Brown's grandsons received scholarships from a Bryant endowment and attend Texas A&M.

So Darrell Brown's family said they weren't completely surprised when he died Oct. 15 while visiting the A&M campus in the midst of the current record-setting drought.

Brown was there to see a grandson march with other members of Texas A&M's Corps of Cadets before the football game against Baylor University.

Brown collapsed just before the review. Family members said they don't know the cause of death, but noted that he had a history of heart problems.

He was among only nine sophomores who completed the notorious training camp, and was the first to die, said Betty Brown, his wife of 52 years.

Bible study helped
At one Junction Boys reunion, Bryant toasted Brown and other members of that sophomore class. Brown's son, Bryant Brown of San Antonio, said the coach told the men that they had proved they weren't quitters, noting that all had remained with the women they married after graduating from A&M.

"Coach Bryant had repeatedly told the players during the camp that they were learning life lessons," Bryant Brown said. "That they weren't going to graduate and become a bunch of ditch diggers."

He said his father, who earned a master's degree in agriculture, later teased Bryant that in some sense, he was digging ditches.

"He and his four brothers were growing rice and soybeans on about 10,000 acres," the son said. One of the brothers, Don Brown, played professional football for the Houston Oilers and Green Bay Packers.

Bryant later apologized to the Junction Boys for the grueling camp. One player suffered heatstroke and did not play that season, and Bryant told them he would have quit, too, Bryant Brown said.

He said his father led a Bible study in his dorm, and many of the players credited it with helping them make it through the camp.

Darrell Brown's faith came first, his son added.

Still friends
The Junction Boys remained close. Stallings telephoned his sympathies to Brown's widow, and nine members of the crew attended the visitation and funeral for Brown last week.

In addition to his widow and son, Brown is survived by another son, Barry Brown of Huffman; and one daughter, Brenda Lueders of Denver.

cindy.horswell@chron.com
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Obituary sent by son

Darrell W. “Brownie” Brown '57, 76, of Dayton, TX died October 15, 2011 of natural causes on Simpson Drill Field at College Station.
He was one of the Junction Boys. He received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry in 1958 and a Masters of Agriculture in 1960. He was a private in the Army National Guard. He worked as an assistant County Extension Agent for Panola, Kaufman and Dallas Counties from 1960 to 65. He was the County Extension Agent of Jack County from 1965 to 1967. In 1968 he moved back to Dayton, TX to farm rice and soybeans with his four brothers. He was a member of the American Rice Growers. He retired from farming in 1998. He was active in the First Baptist Church-Dayton, TX where he served as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher. Upon retirement he spent time in his garden and fruit orchard feeding many friends and family the bounty of his harvest. His football honors included the Dallas Morning News Player of the week in October 1957. He lettered in Football 1954, 55 and 57. He was recognized by the All-American Football Foundation with the Bill Wade Hero Award. Survivors include wife Betty of 52 years, daughter Brenda Lueders '83 and her husband David Lueders '80, son Barry Brown '86 and his wife Dachelle, son Bryant Brown '88 and his wife Vonda Kay Brown '89. Eight grandchildren including Matthew Lueders '13 and Bryant Andrew Brown '15. His brothers: Gene Brown and wife Mary of Dayton and Don Brown and wife Nancy of Dayton; his brother-in-law: RADM Richard Gaskill '52 and wife Diane of Pensacola, Florida. Memorials may be made to The Association of Former Students, 505 George Bush Dr., College Station, TX 77840-2918.

http://www.chron.com/default/article/One-of-A-M-s-legendary-Junction-Boys-dies-2231808.php