Willis Ferrier Brown

1931 - 2018

Willis F. Brown FORT WORTH -- Willis Ferrier Brown passed away peacefully on Saturday May 12, 2018. SERVICE: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19, 2018 in the Chapel of First Presbyterian Church with a reception at the Fort Worth Club following the service. A visitation will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Cancer Center, the Presbyterian Night Shelter or The Ronald McDonald House. Willis was born August, 18, 1931 in Fort Worth. Upon graduation from Paschal High School in 1949, he studied for two years at Washington & Lee. After leaving his sophomore year Willis attended the University of Texas in Austin where he obtained a BBA degree. While Willis only attended W&L for two years, he always considered those years with a great deal of joy. Willis went on to study accounting at SMU and then received his MBA from Texas Christian University in 1965. He remained involved with TCU where he was the first to graduate from their Certificate Program in Data Processing in 1968. His first job was with his father's company, Well Machinery & Supply, Inc. in Fort Worth. He had many fond memories of his time working at Well Machinery within various departments of the company and even invented a tool to help with the process of manufacturing and repairing water meters. Willis worked at Arthur Young & Company and eventually obtained his CPA certificate. He became the CFO of a subsidiary of Foster Wheeler and later established his own public accounting and consulting firm. Willis remained active in his work until the age of 83. Willis married Mary Armstrong in September 1958. They enjoyed fifty years of marriage before her passing in 2009. They had three children; Carolyn, Katherine and Bill. Willis was an active member of University Christian Church for almost 55 years and in the last years of his life he was a member at the First Presbyterian Church. Willis always believed in giving back to his church and community. His faith was extremely important to him. He was a member of the Rotary Club and the Optimist Club. He treasured his friendships and enjoyed hunting, fishing and walking on the beach. It was time spent with his family, however, that brought him the greatest joy. His laugh was contagious and his smile endearing. He loved his family, his friends and his community well. He was a blessing to all who knew him! SURVIVORS: Willis is survived by his adoring family in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Houston. His family in Houston consists of his daughter and son-in-law, Carrie & David Lee and four grandchildren, Mary Caroline, Malissa, James, and William. His family in Fort Worth consists of his daughter and son-in-law, Katherine & Dr. James Harvey and two grandchildren Willis and Mary Hannah. His family in Dallas consists of William & Michelle Brown and two grandchildren, Davis and Liam.