Forrest Brown

1935 - 2021

BROWN, Sr., Forrest Matthew

Forrest Matthew Brown Senior, age 85, passed unexpectedly on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, in Atlanta, GA.

Forrest is survived by his wife of 35 years, Cindy; his children, Kathie, Matt (Allison), Lorie (Ron), and Mary Lee (Angelo); his grandchildren, Jonathan (Allyx), Sarah, Forrest (Samantha), Joel, Clara, Matthew, and William; and his great-granddaughter, Evangeline. He has another grandson on the way.

Forrest was born on December 4, 1935, in Powder Springs, GA, to parents Jack and Ora. He graduated from Acworth High School and attended technical school to train as a stenographer. With basic and advanced shorthand under his belt, he began teaching himself the stenograph machine during a two-year stint in the US Army and in 1962 the Dekalb County Superior Court welcomed their eager court reporter. In 1978, as a result of years of freelance reporting, Forrest realized his dream of Brown Reporting, Inc., becoming the largest court reporting firm in the Southeast with six locations and serving some of the nation's largest law firms. Forrest's solution to an ever-increasing shortage of court reporters came in 1972 with the establishment of Brown College of Court Reporting and Medical Transcription, which trained thousands of court reporters over a period of 37 years. Throwing his hat into the much larger arena of medical and legal transcription wordZXpressed, Inc., was established in 1992, employing hundreds of employees, providing high-quality transcription services for hundreds of clients across the country, including clinics, hospitals, corporate clients, and the legal community nationally. He served on the Baron Users Group board in multiple leadership capacities, providing critical liaison between Baron Data, the company responsible for the burgeoning computerization of stenography and court reporters internationally. Georgia Shorthand Reporters Association (GSRA) recognized Forrest with the Distinguished service award in 2009, the highest honor bestowed for service to the overall court reporting profession in the state of Georgia. In addition, he held multiple offices within the GSRA, culminating as president. On the national scene he achieved 'fellow' status with the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and in front of thousands of court reporters at the 2010 convention in Chicago, Illinois, the NCRA awarded Forrest with the Distinguished Service to the Profession Award, a lifetime achievement award.

Forrest was a social, active man who was deeply involved in the church for the majority of his life. He enjoyed golf, tennis, and snow skiing. He was particularly fond of vanilla bean ice cream. His friends and family will remember him as a generous, loving man with an unforgettable smile and infectious sense of humor.

A funeral is scheduled for June 6th at 2:00 PM at Smyrna First United Methodist Church, with a reception to follow. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Forrest's life. The family would like to thank everyone for their love and prayers. Memories, photos, and videos can be sent to rememberingfmb@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to MUST Ministries and The Alzheimer's Association.