Mark Taylor Brown

YADKINVILLE — Mr. Mark Taylor Brown, 70, of Helton Road, passed away on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at the SECU Hospice Care Center of Yadkin. Born November 10, 1955, in Yadkin County, Mark was the son of the late Jack Brown and Minnie Ruth Arnold Brown.

Mark was a man of steady hands, a generous spirit, and a heart that never tired of serving others. For 36 years (1976–2012), he co-owned and worked alongside his brothers at Yadkin Well Company, Inc. Mark drilled and bored wells, but he was also the mechanic who kept everything running—fixing what was broken, improving what could be better, and doing it all with quiet determination and pride in honest work.

A servant at his core, Mark was a longtime member of the West Yadkin Volunteer Fire Department, dedicating more than 16 years to helping protect his community. He also had a lifelong love of music and taught himself to play the piano, guitar, and fiddle—bringing joy to others through the gift of song.

Mark’s love of aviation was as wide as the sky itself. He built and flew more than 20 types of aircraft over the years and counted among his greatest achievements earning both his pilot’s license and driver’s license on his 16th birthday. An avid pilot and aircraft mechanic, Mark delighted in sharing the wonder of flight, especially by teaching his nephew, Matthew, how to fly—an experience that will be treasured for a lifetime.

Above all, Mark loved the Lord. He was a faithful member of Northwood Baptist Church and previously attended Flat Rock Baptist Church, where he served as both a Sunday School teacher and a deacon. His faith wasn’t limited to words—Mark lived it daily, sharing Jesus with everyone he could, from customers at home to people he met on mission trips in Africa and Europe, where he helped build churches and drill wells. He also served in many other ways: as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, Boy Scout leader, and even as a DJ years ago at WIFM in Elkin. Creative, inventive, and compassionate, Mark never met a stranger and was never afraid to help someone in need. Mark’s life was marked by faith, service, and steadfast love—love for his family, his community, and the God he served so faithfully. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

In addition to his parents, Mark was preceded in death by his nephew, Seth Brown.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 44 years, Joyce Hawks Brown; his brothers, Vaughn (Tenia) Brown and David (Lynn) Brown; his nephew, Matthew Brown; his nieces, Chelsea (Kevin) Enloe, Candace (Mitch) Welborn, and Lacey (Geremy) Taylor; his step-nieces, Kara (Matt) Renegar and Kinsey (Ryan) Stanley; and several grandnieces and grandnephews.

The family will receive friends from 6:00–8:00 PM Thursday at Northwood Baptist Church in Yadkinville. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM Friday at Northwood Baptist Church, officiated by Rev. Tim Webb. Mark will lie in state from 1:00–2:00 PM Friday at the church prior to the service. Interment will follow on Saturday at Flat Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery in Cana, Virginia.

Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, 401 Elkin Hwy, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.