Arnold N. "Brownie" Brown

Arnold N. Brown isn't here anymore. At 94 his pat answer to "How are you?", was, "Well I'm still here." He passed away peacefully Saturday, October 6, 2012. "Brownie" was in one of the last U.S. cavalry divisions during WW II. When the unit was dismounted and dismantled in 1942, he joined the Air Force. As a bombardier trainee, he was stationed in Midland. Here, he fell in love with its friendly people and found a beauty and freedom in the big skies, endless horizons, and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. Once the war was over, he decided to stay. He was a Yankee, born and raised in the Northeast U.S., who started his career in the oil business here after the Second World War. As an employee of Shell Oil, he moved around Texas and New Mexico, but returned to the Midland he had grown to love, to retire. Brownie was an avid environmentalist before it was a trend; he was of the school that you just did right by the land, water, and all creatures, furry, finned, and feathered. He loved to fish but didn't want to hunt, because he didn't want to kill an animal. He was a gentle man, a philosopher, a true gentleman who embodied integrity, but nevertheless had his fun-loving side. He was a great dancer, who enjoyed the big band concerts and dances in the early days of living in wild west Midland. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Janice Morrison Brown, who lovingly and selflessly took care of him in his latter days and by his only child, Deborah Ann Brown, who moved back to Midland recently to be close to her beloved parents. He was in the care of Hospice for the last days of his life and his family is grateful to their staff for their gentleness and attention. A private family service will be held for "Brownie".