Published: June 15, 2009 04:19 pm      

Community leader Gary D. Brown passes away at 72

Longtime banker, business leader and community volunteer Gary D. Brown passed away Sunday morning at the age of 72, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Brown retired from Community National Bank and Trust of Texas, where he started and ran the trust department for many years, and was still a member of the board of directors. His career in banking was preceded by military service, and years spent as a college professor in Missouri.

Brown also worked briefly with the City of Corsicana in the mid-1990s as Main Street Director, and as an assistant city manager. He played a major role in helping establish the city’s I.O.O.F. Park during his time with the city.

Brown was also an active community volunteer, a member of numerous boards and organizations throughout his life.

Brown may be remembered best for his faith, and dedication to his church. He was an active member of First Baptist Church of Corsicana, serving in a variety of capacities.

He was on the pastor’s search committee that brought B.F. Risinger Jr. to First Baptist’s pulpit in 1979, establishing a life-long friendship between the two.

“We connected early,” Risinger said of Brown. “He’s been the kind of friend who would ... tell you the truth in any kind of situation. I really appreciated that so much.

“It was his passion for doing the Lord’s will, and his integrity, that made him such a special friend.”

“Gary has been a real leader in the church, and in my life as well,” said Dr. David Edwards, current pastor at First Baptist Church.

“There is a verse in the Bible that reminds me of Gary,” Edwards said. “It says ‘Be quick to listen and slow to speak.’ I think Gary, and his leadership, was such a great listener ... he didn’t just react, he responded appropriately. He heard all different sides ... and when he spoke, he spoke with wisdom.”

Edwards characterized Brown as wise and insightful.

“I often would call Gary to get his input, not just about the church, but about the community,” Edwards said.

“A lot of people are given positions of leadership, but there are few ‘true’ leaders,” Edwards added. “I think Gary, in the years I’ve known him, was a leader.”

“He was someone I could call if I needed anything,” recalled friend Don Lake. “I could call him in the middle of the night if I needed something.”

K.C. Wyatt, president of Community National Bank and Trust, recalled Brown’s dedication to Corsicana and Navarro County, and his impact on the area.

“He helped establish the Kent Scholarship Trust in the Kerens area, and was the reason J. Tom Eady left his estate to help improve the way of life in Corsicana and Navarro County,” Wyatt said. “Gary was also a big reason the trees planted in downtown Corsicana ever happened.

“Gary will be missed deeply by Community National Bank & Trust. He was a friend, leader and mentor, but the thing we will remember most was his integrity. He was instrumental in developing two trust departments in Corsicana over his nearly 40 years of service,” Wyatt said.

Scott and Susan Middleton were friends of Brown and his wife, Nancy, since the Browns moved to Corsicana in the 1970s. Both recalled Brown and his friendship fondly.

“I have always respected Gary,” Scott Middleton said. “He was always thoughtful and wise ... a man of integrity. I valued his friendship.”

Middleton said he and Brown shared a love of books, often exchanging titles each thought the other would enjoy.

Susan Middleton echoed Edward’s sentiments about Brown and his ability to analyze situations.

“He was a wonderful listener,” she said. “He was really good to let everybody have their input and then gleaned from that what was significant. I loved that about him.”

Lauri Cain worked as Brown’s secretary at Interfirst Bank (now Bank of America) in the 1980s. She recalled his kindness as an employer, and his fatherly advice in her own life.

“Shortly after I went to work for Gary, my dad passed away suddenly,” Cain said. “Gary was very kind and considerate through all of that.”

Even after leaving her job as his secretary, Cain said Brown was a friend and counselor she could still call on.

“He always gave quiet, thoughtful advice ... I always thought so much of him for that,” Cain said.

Cain also recalled a story involving her daughter, who had wanted her to purchase a Christmas ornament at a store where Brown and his wife were also shopping. Her daughter was misbehaving, and she did not purchase the ornament the child wanted.

“A hour or so later, the doorbell rang, and it was Gary, and he bought her the ornament and brought it to her,” Cain said laughing. “It was sort of a ‘grandfatherly’ thing to do ... I appreciated it in spite of the fact I was trying to teach her a lesson.”

Brown was the father of Daily Sun staffer and “exp” editor Deanna Brown. In December 2008, Deanna shared some thoughts of her father in her weekly newspaper column.

“Dad used to love cameras. He had a collection of them, and when we were little girls, Mother would dress us alike (OK, I’ve been guilty of the same thing with my two daughters!), and Dad would take us out in a field of bluebonnets, just for example, and take tons of photos.

“My Dad is a really smart man. No doubt about it. He’s done a lot of different things in his life, from growing up on a farm, to jumping out of airplanes in the 82nd Airborne, to being a college professor in Missouri (where I was born), to the career he finally settled on, trust banking ... He taught me about responsibility, money management, being frugal (which is handy when you’re a single mom), prayer, faith, and many other things.

“He has been a sterling example of service — to church, to family, to community ...”

Brown was preceded in death by his parents, F.E. "Bud" and Neva Brown; and his grandson, Daniel Pawlowski.

He is survived by wife Nancy; daughters, Deanna Brown, and Jennifer Johnson and husband, David; four grandchildren, Kate and Lily Pawlowski and Neva and Jack Johnson; sister, Kay Moseley and husband, Hurley; and two nieces, Sheri Moseley and Marianne Golden.

Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 17 at Corley Funeral Home.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 18 at First Baptist Church in Corsicana with Dr. David Edwards and the Rev. B.F. Risinger Jr officiating.

Memorials are sugggested to the American Cancer Society or the First Baptist Church building fund.

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