William A. "Bill" Brown

William Anton Brown, age 59, of West Hartford, CT passed away on September 12, 2015. He died at home following a courageous battle against melanoma. Bill was born on January 14, 1956 in Hartford, CT. He was the only child of Herbert C. and Patricia Regan Brown, of South Windsor, CT. Bill was raised in South Windsor, where he loved the fields and woods surrounding his home, and spent many hours of his childhood adventuring in the outdoors on his own and with friends. A particularly favored pastime was the game "Landmine" that entailed blowing up cow-pies with firecrackers in the fields near his home. Summers were spent at the family cottage at Camp Bethel in Haddam, CT where he enjoyed boating and swimming in the Connecticut River with his parents, and hanging out with his fellow Camp Bethel "River Rats." He also had many fond memories vacationing on Lake Bomoseen in Vermont with his extended family. Bill attended public schools; graduating from South Windsor High School in 1974. He attended the University of Connecticut, graduating in 1978 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation, he was hired by Pratt & Whitney Aircraft of East Hartford where he was continually employed for over 36 years. Bill continued his education while working at Pratt & Whitney, earning a Master's Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In the 1980s, his work offered him the life-changing opportunity to work and live on extended assignment in Liège, Belgium for over three years. As was his habit, Bill made the most of this opportunity to meet new people and embrace new experiences. While in Belgium, he made it his mission to learn French, and cultivate friendships that have endured to this day. Continuing his tenure with Pratt & Whitney after returning State-side, he worked in International Business Development which afforded him the opportunity to travel extensively to China, Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Israel, Singapore, Spain and Norway. Bill had a genuine appreciation for people of all cultures and thrived on sampling exotic cuisines and making friends the world over. While at University, Bill met Mary Elizabeth Bain, who was to become the love of his life, as he was to become hers. The two were married in 1981, and later settled in West Hartford, where they raised their three children: Ian, Graham and Elizabeth. Bill was a supremely devoted husband and father, taking great delight in sharing his own love of the outdoors, art, and fine craftsmanship with his children, while nurturing the development of their unique interests. Bill and his family loved hiking, skiing, canoeing and boating on the Connecticut River, where they carried on the family tradition of summering at Camp Bethel in Haddam. Closer to home in West Hartford, he relished tearing up the yard playing badminton with his kids, and taking them on "letter-boxing" excursions on weekends. Bill also took the time to share special moments with each of his children individually; whether it was kayaking on the Farmington River with Ian, or deep-sea fishing for bluefish with Graham on Long Island Sound, or hiking the White Mountains with Elizabeth, with whom he stayed at every Appalachian Mountain Hut over a period of years. As a couple, Bill and Mary enjoyed bicycling together on the rails-to-trails, and sharing vacations on Bailey Island in Maine. Over the years, their love of travel led them back to Europe on several occasions to revisit old friends and explore new areas. Bill & Mary had the opportunity to welcome these friends as well to their home in West Hartford and also hosted several Belgian high school students for extended visits. Bill was active in the community, serving as a volunteer and crew leader at Habitat for Humanity for over three years where he shared his construction expertise – and his power tools – with other volunteers. He served as Treasurer of the Camp Bethel Association for ten years, and was a member of the Boar's Head Committee at Asylum Hill Congregational Church for many years; oftentimes performing in their annual Epiphany Celebration with his wife and daughter. In addition to being a skilled engineer, Bill was a gifted and talented artist, craftsman, and artisan who enjoyed working in oils, watercolors, pencil, pen & ink, and more recently, pastels. Bill especially loved working with wood; from projects around the house to works of truly fine art. He became particularly known for creating expertly-crafted, personalized cribbage and game boards that he enjoyed sharing with family and friends. On top of all that, every Christmastime, he made a legendary mushroom soup. While Bill endured a prolonged struggle with melanoma, those who knew him can attest he never became embittered, and retained his desire to suck the marrow from every day of living that was afforded him. At the Smilow Cancer Hospital, where he was treated for 4½ years, his warmth, grace, and infectious optimism earned him the sobriquet "The Mayor of the 8th Floor." In his dedication to advancing the progress toward a cure, he participated for two years in the annual Closer to Free 100K Bike Ride raising over $3,000 each year. He leaves to mourn his beloved wife of 34 years, Mary Bain Brown, his cherished sons Ian of Los Angeles, CA, Graham and his wife Ally of Wethersfield, CT and, his dearest daughter Elizabeth of Philadelphia, PA, as well as his loving parents Herbert C. and Patricia Regan Brown of South Windsor, CT. He also leaves many loving sisters/brothers-in-law: Margaret & Bob Hamm of Merrimack, NH, Priscilla & Richard Cote of West Hartford, CT, Martha & Jim DiTomasso of Wethersfield, CT, Dorothy & Mike Raviele of Farmington, CT and John & Karen Bain of Olney, MD, as well as many, many loving nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews who will miss the presence of the biggest, funnest kid at family gatherings. His family would like to express their gratitude to the many loving friends, neighbors and family members who helped care for, support and comfort Bill continued... 1 2 Next ...continued and his family during his illness. Since his diagnosis in May 2011, Bill was fortunate to be under the care of Dr. Harriet Kluger and the medical team at Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven. Under their care, Bill was able to continue living a vital and rich life for four years until his final illness. Calling hours will be held from 4 -8 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, at Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home, 136 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT. A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, September 18, 2015 at Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT or the Camp Bethel Association, 124 Camp Bethel Road, Haddam, CT c/o Dorrie Kendall. For directions and online condolences, please visit www.taylorandmodeen.com. Previous 1 2