Delos was larger than life, a renaissance swashbuckler accidentally born into the 20th century. He was brilliant, articulate, interested in everything and sometimes devastatingly funny. You could love him or hate him, but never ignore him.
Delos mother, Deloise ("Bobbe") Emmons and father Clayton Lee ("Teddy") Burwell 's WWII marriage did not last. He grew up with his mother, stepfather Hillyer ("Pete") Brown Jr. and siblings in Los Altos, CA. At Los Altos High he was a star student and football player and at Stanford was a starting offensive guard, graduating with a degree in economics. With Teddy's support he then attended George Washington University Law School.
Delos was a Deputy DA for Los Angeles County for 7 years, becoming a key prosecutor in the Career Criminal Unit. He then became a trial partner with Haight, Dickson, Brown & Bonesteel in Santa Monica. There he met Marguerite, whom he married in 1990 and who became his life and law partner. In the early 1990s Delos and Haight partner David Peterson founded Brown & Peterson, and later, with Marguerite, founded Brown, Brown & Klass, emphasizing civil defense and insurance coverage law. Delos practiced law until 2015, when serious illness forced his retirement.
Delos was exceptionally creative, often seeing solutions others did not. This led to his handling many unique or difficult cases, which some came to call "D. Brown cases." He was an expert at using experts and consultants. He was a superb jury trial lawyer, often using humor to persuade. He fiercely protected his clients, with one opposing party calling him a "rottweiler in a blazer."
Delos loved life. He loved dinner parties and vodka, traveling to Italy, art, jokes with friends, playing handball and golf, working out, rock & roll, Italian food, red wine, movies, football and boxing, cookies, ice cream and reading. Most of all he loved practicing law, he loved his friends and his sisters, and he loved Marguerite. He made our lives better and far, far more fun by being here.
We are celebrating his life on August 3, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Pepperdine University's Raitt Recital Hall. In lieu of flowers, Marguerite asks that you contact an old friend and have a good meal and a great talk. Delos' friends' calls and visits meant the world to him. Marguerite also thanks Dr. Jeremy Rudnick, Dr. Ray M. Chu, their staffs, and all who helped us at Cedars Sinai Hospital for their wonderful care and support.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Jul. 18 to Jul. 21, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Delos Brown

11 Entries

Dennis Tessier

August 5, 2021

Truly one of the best lawyers I´ve had the honor to work with. Our hearts and prayers are with the Brown family. Rest in peace my dear friend.

Eleanore Gray

July 22, 2021

Its been 2 years since you left and i still often think of you D. U were my HERO.

I LOVE U MARGUERITE.

Klass Allan

July 12, 2020

Marguerite,hard to believe it has been over a year since his passing. Next month it will be 11 years since Barbara's death.Life goes on. Hope life has been treating you well and you are getting through this pandemic. All the best. AL Klass

Joe Kishel

January 14, 2020

So sad to be reading this for the first time in 2020. What a great man and what an honor to have crossed paths with you. Save a seat for me......

Laura Miller (now Jones)

August 2, 2019

D Brown! You are, beyond a doubt, one of my favorite bosses. I am so sorry to hear of your passing and that I didn't make more of an effort to stay in touch in the past few years. The best place to work was HBB in the late 1980s. Fast-paced, frenetic, but the work was always accomplished with integrity and determination. I will never forget you telling the first year attorneys that you valued the secretaries more than them, and that they were to treat us right, because we had the power to make them a success. No one had ever done that before you. You challenged me, you stood up for me, you made me laugh! I will never forget your real love of the law and love of life. Marguerite I am so, so sorry for your loss. In lieu of flowers, I reached out to one of my friends at HBB, and we had a nice chat about D. My sadness is tempered by his photo. It is exactly as I remember him. The big grin and the light in his eyes. I am sure he is making others laugh up there!

Bobbi Johnson

July 29, 2019

Delos Brown all though I didn't know you for a long time in fact a very short time! I loved your funny way about you, you took everything on the funny side of life. Even as you were faced with a serious diagnosis from your doctors. When I met you I was just another caregiver coming your way! As the days and weeks and months of the last days for you on this earth! I enjoyed caring for you being with you and laughing with you ! Spending time with you and Marguerite and the days when your buddies would come and visit you especially Mike who came every week to the end of your life I enjoyed your guises talks and your time together as brothers those times were precious and you meant the world to them and I could see that !I am a better person because I got to meet you and to see somebody conquer an illness to the degree that you did with such grace and acceptance as to what it was and what will be. I enjoyed everyday that I went to work and got to be with you and get to know you I can't thank you enough for your kindness and the sweet hearted man that you were everyday to me! I miss you and will always miss you and I love telling stories to my husband about you and your friends and the fun you guys had together drinking your beers and having lunch in your room from time to time! God bless you always I hope to see you again in heaven someday! My love to you always, Mr. D Brown!

July 25, 2019

For many years Paul and I exchanged Christmas gifts with Marguerite and Delos. Not normal gifts but gag gifts, the cheesier the better. It was so much fun to find gifts that no one could like or use but the laughs we all had when the exchange was made were priceless. Delos will be missed but we will always remember the fun we had.
Denise and Paul Beckstead

Allan Klass

July 24, 2019

Both of you were there during Barbara"s illness with love and support. He was tough as nails as a patient , but that's what kept him going so long. My condolences go out to you Marguerite for handling these last few years with strength and dignity.
With all my sympathy,
Al Klass

July 22, 2019

May the God of comfort bring the family peace.

Jerry Jackson

July 22, 2019

Regrettably, they don't make them like him anymore. When he lost to Mother Nature and Father Time, I'm sure he went down fighting.

Eleanor Gray

July 21, 2019

D Brown was my boss over 30 years ago when I first moved to Los Angeles. He interviewed me and told me that the position was tedious, stressful, fast pace and i had to be one heck of a secretary to handle it. He said what makes you think that you could handle this job? I told him because I am the best of the bestest. He burst out in this big jolly laugh and hired me on the spot. Eventually we moved on in life, but stayed in touch at all times. D was my very good friend, he was my buddy, he was my brother from another mother. I love me some D Brown and always will...
I WILL SEE YOU WHEN I GET THERE D.

With love,
Eleanor

Showing 1 - 11 of 11 results