Brown Pulliam

Samuel Brown Pulliam (always known as Brown), died peacefully, at home in Bedford, Massachusetts, on February 23, 2025. He was 94. 

Born in Paducah, Kentucky, in 1930, to Henry Abbett Pulliam and Charlotte (Lawrence) Pulliam Wilcoxen, Brown spent most of his childhood in New York, first in Schenectady, and then in Altamont. In 1951, he graduated from Union College with a degree in Physics. During the Korean War, he enlisted with the Navy and became a communications officer, Lieutenant Junior Grade, and served aboard the submarine USS Tirante in the North Atlantic. 

In 1954, while in Naval officer training in Newport, Rhode Island, Brown met Lois Flege, then living in Boston. Together they resided in Boston's Back Bay, in Mystic, Connecticut and in Silver Spring, Maryland, before settling in Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1960.

Brown worked as a senior principal RF engineer at General Radio (Gen Rad) for many years, and later as an independent contractor. He found the work interesting and enjoyable, so continued contracting until he was well into his 70s. He invented, manufactured and sold a memory cartridge product for Commodore 64 computer users, in the 1980s, which he named The Quick Brown Box.

Brown was an enthusiastic bicyclist. At 94, he could easily outride even those of his kids who bike often, and (in warmer months) he still rode regularly with a local cycling group, often completing excursions of 20 or more miles per hike. He preferred his bike for local errands, and for many years frequently commuted on it from his Bedford home to his West Concord office. 

Other favorite activities included playing bridge, ping pong, and croquet. He loved attending the symphony, and was virtually tireless at a swing or square dance. A gifted fixer of things, Brown volunteered for years at the Bedford Council on Aging fix-it shop, and later ran the shop at Carleton Willard Village.

Among various travel adventures he and Lois enjoyed were sailing trips (which Brown captained) in the Caribbean, on Lake Champlain and on the Maine coast, with several dear friends. They had some wonderful cruises aboard the QE2, and multiple trips to Oaxaca, Mexico, with his siblings. 

Brown also made humanitarian treks to Palestine, with a social justice group, and to Haiti, with his eldest son, after a devastating earthquake. Civic action was an area in which Brown consistently inspired others. He attended almost all of Bedford's town meetings of the last 60 years, canvassed for political candidates he respected, and gave time and energy to several causes of importance to him, including social justice, support for the mentally ill, and climate awareness. While in his mid-80s, Brown was arrested multiple times for protesting the West Roxbury pipeline - purposefully, so that his objections to its installation would be publicized. He also picketed at ICE headquarters in Burlington many times, sat on various committees and boards over the years, and was an active member of the First Parish UU Church in Bedford for more than 60 years. In 2021, Brown and Lois were named the first dual Bedford Citizens of the Year.

Brown is survived by his wife: Lois Flege Pulliam; his children: Jonathan Pulliam (Diane), Martin Pulliam, Nicholas Pulliam, Amity Kelley (Paul), Patience Merullo (Dave); three siblings: Faith Fogarty, Verity Parris and Darcy Pulliam; eleven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Brown was predeceased by his son: Matthew Pulliam; three siblings: Joyce Wallace, Todd Pulliam and Vall "Zeb" Pulliam; and a grandson: Todd Matthew Pulliam.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mothers Out Front (www.mothersoutfront.org) or the First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist of Bedford, Massachusetts. Alternatively, attending a rally or protest for a humanitarian or environmental cause in his honor would be appreciated.

A memorial and celebration of life will take place at First Parish Church, 75 Great Rd, Bedford, MA, on Saturday, March 15, 2025 beginning at 11:00 a.m.

For further reading about Brown, there is a wonderful tribute to him on The Bedford Citizen website, here.