Alan BROWN

1929 - 2023

ALAN FERGUS BROWN BA, B.Ed., M.Ed., Ph.D. February 10, 1929 - July 23, 2023 Alan Brown, aged 94, died peacefully at Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital after a recent illness and diagnosis of heart failure. Alan was born in Madoc Village and spent most of his years (from 2-12) in Thessalon, ON and high school (grades 9-13) in Inglehart and Rainy River, ON. Alan was the youngest of four children of Duncan Brown and Florence Peel. He was predeceased by his other siblings, Nelson Brown, Stewart Brown and Helen Brown.He was predeceased by his first wife, Elizabeth Manning Brown (deceased 1988). Alan had four children: Cathy Medhurt, Nancy Kotecki (deceased 1998), Kirk Brown, and Leslie Brown Tumangday. Alan was also a large part of his grandchildren's lives: Katrina, Madeliene, Lauren, Robert, Rosemary, Gilberto and Isabel, and his five great-grandchildren: Jack, Sebastian, Rowan, Eila and Quinn. Alan and his wife Marion Elizabeth Ann Hill shared 32 years together in Toronto, Arizona and Muskoka. Alan graduated from the University of Winnipeg, United College, (now University of Manitoba) in 1951. After a period in insurance investigation, Alan completed his Bachelor of Education in 1952, to get himself started in a career in education, following in his father Duncan Brown's footsteps. During these years, he was very active in church work, particularly young people's groups, which he continued in later life. After teaching a year in Winnipeg (West Caldonen) and a couple of years in Edmonton, he was invited to perform at their university demonstration school and as a guidance counselor. He went on to complete his Master's degree in 1957 began his Ph.D., during which he also served as Assistant Secretary to the Alberta Royal Commission on Education and as a Superintendent of Schools for the Alberta Ministry of Education. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in 1961, he became assistant professor in educational administration at University of Alberta, Calgary. In 1966, he and his family left Alberta for the newly formed Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE), where Alan went from associate to Full Professor and assistant to the director. He formally retired in 1994 as Professor Emeritus of OISE, the University of Toronto, though he continued to write and speak at conferences for many years. During his career, Dr. Brown became quite active in international academics and national academic organizations, having become president of two of Canada's so-called 'Learned Societies' (professors of education and educational researchers), a co-founder of the more European ISATT (International Study Association of Teacher Thinking and the ICPCP (International Congress on Personal Construct Psychology). He headed up several new courses in interpersonal relations and organizational dynamics being taught in various universities and published around 60 research articles over the years. Being invited to teach in universities internationally and in Canada gave incredible enjoyment to Alan and his family, such as Hebrew University, Jerusalem, the Scottish Council for Research in Education at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and as an Academic Fellow with University of Surrey, Guildford, England. Certainly, for his own family's broadening, these as well as Canadian universities (Memorial University of Newfoundland, McGill University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia) were welcome invitations. Upon his retirement from OISE, Alan and Elizabeth Ann were very active members of their church, dedicated patrons of the arts, such as the Elmer Iseler Singers, boaters who traveled throughout Georgian Bay, the Trent Severn and the St. Lawrence River, and enthusiastic residents of Lake Muskoka in summer and Arizona in the winter. As well, they enjoyed traveling all over the world, to places like Tunisia, Japan, Vienna, Nice, Italy, London, and a cross Atlantic cruise to name only a few. Alan's family would like to thank the staff at Mount Sinai, Women's College and Hennick Bridgepoint Hospitals for their excellent and kind care in recent months. The family will receive friends at the Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles – Newbigging Chapel, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville) from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Sunday, July 30th. A service will be held in the Chapel on Monday, July 31st at 11:00 a.m. Private interment in Dorchester Union Cemetery. Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.