Robert Brown

Eulogy

Opening
I would like to open with a reading from Psalms 62, versus 5 through 8:
5) My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6) He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7) In God is my salvation and my glory. The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8) Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us all. Amen

Invocation
Lord, we come together in joy and in sorrow. We mourn our loss, yet we rejoice that Dad will not experience pain or sickness or sorrow ever again. We thank you for Dad’s transition to a new and better life. We ask for your comfort to descend over our family. May your love shine on us and may we know the mercy and grace that only you can give. Bless us with a sense of your goodness and give us peace. Amen.

Eulogy
Who is Robert Emmet Brown?
He is the youngest child of Clinard and Stanley, born in 1929.
He is a proud son of Holly Springs, Mississippi.
He is a graduate of Holly Springs High School and Mississippi State University.
He is the loving husband of Lynn Woodard, married for 61 years.
He is an electrical engineer with Westinghouse.
He is a member of Forrest Park Baptist Church, serving as a deacon and a choir member.
He is a father to 2 sons, a grandfather to 3 grandchildren, and a great grandfather to 1.

To me, he is all of that and more. When I think of dad, I think of a lifetime of memories:
In New Orleans:
- I think of Johnny and I running around the house playing Batman and Robin, to the delight of both dad and mom.
- I think of going to Mardi Gras parades in downtown New Orleans, dad carrying a ladder so Johnny and I could sit above the adults so we could yell “throw me something, mister!”
- I think of stepping on a half dead snake in the front yard, scared to death and yelling, and dad coming around to dispatch of it.
- I think of going fishing with dad, Johnny, and Pawpaw, catching a crab on my line, slinging it onto land, then pounding it with a dirtclod as dad tried to stop me, hoping to save it for a crab boil.

After the move to Pine Bluff:
- I think of the house on King Richard, a temporary residence as dad designed and had built the house on Becky’s Hideaway.
- I think of playing Little League baseball, and dad setting up pitching and batting practice areas in the backyard so we could practice.
- I think of the garden in the backyard. Not only did it provide fresh produce, but I think it gave dad some time away from the worries of work and the world, his place to think.
- I think of trips to Holly Springs, with bird dogs Captain and Sport in the back of the station wagon, going over to bird hunt.
- I think of trips to Satsuma, fishing gear in tow to fish in Mobile Bay.
- I think of the yellow pop up camper, and in state trips to the Buffalo River, Long Pool, and Haw Creek Falls, and big trips to Orlando, the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone.
- I think of Volkswagen Beetles and Kharmann Ghias, pulling engines and reupholstering seats and floorboards.
- I think of my senior year in high school, and seeing him drive up in a 1975 Chevy Malibu, a replacement for my 1968 Beetle.
- I think of my freshman year at the University of Arkansas, and dad not allowing me to take the car. I was mad, but, given the struggles I had initially, a very wise decision as I may have quit school and driven off.

As an adult:
- I think of his patience with me, when, as a college graduate, I was finding the job market difficult to crack.
- I think of finally obtaining that 1st “real” job, and seeing his happiness.
- I think of my 1st new car, a red 1986 Mustang, that he helped me to purchase.
- I think of the 1st time he met Cathy. I believe he thought that I had found the correct partner for life.
- I think of his support as Cathy and I had our 1st house built, coaching us on what to look for and where to be cautious.
- I think about family trips to the Gulf Coast and to the Smoky Mountains.
- I think about conversations he and I have had over the years regarding my job frustrations and my concern about my family’s fiscal future. During these conversations he was always calm and supportive, and had a way to make me feel better about the situation.

I think of these things, and so many more.
As a younger person, at the time I don’t think I had near the appreciation I should have for how hard dad worked to make a better life for his family, and to serve God and his neighbors. As I’ve gotten older, my appreciation for these efforts has grown by leaps and bounds, and I strive to follow your example. Thank you for always being there. You will be sorely missed, but you are forever in our hearts.

Benediction
Heavenly father, thank you for the gift of this earthly life. We thank you for the life of dad, for the years you gave him and the character you shaped in him. We thank you for his life, for every memory of love and joy, for every good deed and sorrow shared with us. We thank you for the rest in Christ he now enjoys. We thank you for giving him to us for a time, and we praise you for the glory we shall share together for eternity, Through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

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Robert E. (Bob) Brown, 92, of Conway, AR, formerly of Pine Bluff, AR, passed away on January 30, 2021, peacefully with his family at his side in Conway.
Bob was born in Holly Springs, MS on January 12, 1929, the son of W. Clinard and Stanley H. Brown. He was a graduate of Holly Springs High School and Mississippi State University, obtaining a degree in Electrical Engineering. Bob was an engineer with Westinghouse Electric Corporation, early in his career in New Orleans, LA, and later in Pine Bluff, AR.
Bob was a long time member of Forrest Park Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, serving as a deacon and as a member of the choir, a devoted disciple of Christ.
Bob was an avid outdoorsman, loving to both hunt and fish, and was also quite adept at growing a vegetable garden. He also enjoyed wood working as well as rebuilding old Volkswagens. He was a loving and devoted husband and father. He took an active interest in both sons’ activities, and, after retirement, enjoyed traveling the US and abroad with his wife, Lynn.
Bob was preceded in death by both parents, his brother John D. Brown, and by three sisters, Mary McGill, Bobbie Maxey, and Cecilia Giles. He is survived by the love of his life and wife of 61 years, Lynn Woodard Brown; two sons, David Brown (Cathy) of Conway, AR and Johnny Brown (Kim) of Searcy, AR; 3 grandchildren, Rebecca Brown of Jonesboro, AR, Sarah Little (Kolby) of Vilonia, AR, and Collin Brown of Iowa City, IA; one great grandchild, Cooper Little of Vilonia, AR; one sister, Doris Avent of Holly Springs, MS; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, February 4, 2021 in the chapel of Griffin Leggett Conway Funeral Home, 1751 Dave Ward Drive, Conway (501) 327-5000 with Rev. Elwin Ollar officiating. Committal service will be 1:00 p.m. Friday, February 5, 2021 at Hillcrest Cemetery, Holly Springs, Mississippi. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your favorite charity in Bob’s memory. To sign the online guestbook, click “Add A Memory” at: www.griffinleggettconway.com