Obituary for Robert Netherton "Bob" Brown, Jr.
Robert Netherton Brown, Jr, 72, husband of Margaret Clem Brown, of Kearneysville, WV, passed away April 30, 2021. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Bob started and managed the Environmental Engineering Department at Marriott Corporation, later opening his own Environmental Engineering company, Claris Corporation.
He is survived by his loving family, leaving behind his wife of 50 years, Margaret, three sons and two daughters in law, including Bob and Penny Miles Brown of Long Island, New York; Peter Brown of Kearneysville, WV; Chris and Lynn Day Brown of Potomac, MD; two daughters and a son in law, Sara Brown Buckalew and Tyler Buckalew of Middletown, MD; Virginia Brown of Salt Lake City, Utah; eight fabulous grandchildren, Alex Brown, Grace Brown, Stephen Brown, Robert Brown, Nicole Brown, Tony Frye, Juliette Frye, and Noah Buckalew. He also leaves behind his sisters Cynthia Brown Shipman, Sheila Parker, Pamela Brown Bonney, and his brothers Carey Brown and Glenn Brown.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Netherton and Mary Crowe Brown, and one sister, Meridy Brown of White Plains, New York.
Reflection:
Bob Brown was a true renaissance man. He could fix your car, then your lawnmower, help you chop a chord of wood, and then later that day help you with your pitiful attempt at your college admissions essay. He was a music, food and prose lover, but also knew his way around the tool shed.
After Serving in the US Army in Vietnam, Bob attended and graduated from Virginia Tech. He was a wordsmith, a great conversationalist, a teacher, a man of tremendous character that impacted so many, and also a great listener. He was gifted with a great command of the English language, had a tremendous vocabulary, and was equally as skilled with his hands as he was with his pen. He was also an avid reader, and he touched lives of many throughout his time with us on this earth. His work ethic was nothing short of remarkable, truly relentless.
After a great career with Marriot, Bob became an entrepreneur and an inventor. Bob believed in and loved education perhaps more than anything else. He also loved his community and took the time to personally try to make a difference every day. He even served as a volunteer at a halfway house for troubled youth, demonstrating his willingness to roll up his sleeves to try and help those less fortunate than himself.
Throughout his life-long journey, Bob had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and culture, both conventional and unconventional, which he pursued with vigor, wonder, and respect. He was willing to listen to those that disagreed with him, always offering people the dignity and respect that he felt that they deserved, regardless of their appearance, job title, or what degrees that they had, always giving more than they were accustomed to, and in many cases even if it was a perfect stranger. He was a compassionate family man, a loving husband, a hard worker, and had a deep sense of being an active part of his community. He was passionate about what he believed in, a patriot, was always up for an adventure, and was never afraid of a challenge. He will be missed by so many and remembered as a man of principal. He must have had a million stories to tell, often with anecdotes, and to his family he really was the original “Most interesting man in the world”. We will miss his extraordinary reading talent reading books such as The Chronicles of Narnia to his family each year.
May he rest in peace.
Saturday May 22, 2021
9:45AM Visitation
11:00AM Funeral Service
Brown Funeral Home, South Berkeley Chapel
287 Arden Nollville Road
Inwood West Virginia 25428
Phone 304-229-4977
*There will be no graveside service following this memorial.
Visitors will be required to wear face masks, practice social distancing and follow directives.
He is survived by his loving family, leaving behind his wife of 50 years, Margaret, three sons and two daughters in law, including Bob and Penny Miles Brown of Long Island, New York; Peter Brown of Kearneysville, WV; Chris and Lynn Day Brown of Potomac, MD; two daughters and a son in law, Sara Brown Buckalew and Tyler Buckalew of Middletown, MD; Virginia Brown of Salt Lake City, Utah; eight fabulous grandchildren, Alex Brown, Grace Brown, Stephen Brown, Robert Brown, Nicole Brown, Tony Frye, Juliette Frye, and Noah Buckalew. He also leaves behind his sisters Cynthia Brown Shipman, Sheila Parker, Pamela Brown Bonney, and his brothers Carey Brown and Glenn Brown.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Netherton and Mary Crowe Brown, and one sister, Meridy Brown of White Plains, New York.
Reflection:
Bob Brown was a true renaissance man. He could fix your car, then your lawnmower, help you chop a chord of wood, and then later that day help you with your pitiful attempt at your college admissions essay. He was a music, food and prose lover, but also knew his way around the tool shed.
After Serving in the US Army in Vietnam, Bob attended and graduated from Virginia Tech. He was a wordsmith, a great conversationalist, a teacher, a man of tremendous character that impacted so many, and also a great listener. He was gifted with a great command of the English language, had a tremendous vocabulary, and was equally as skilled with his hands as he was with his pen. He was also an avid reader, and he touched lives of many throughout his time with us on this earth. His work ethic was nothing short of remarkable, truly relentless.
After a great career with Marriot, Bob became an entrepreneur and an inventor. Bob believed in and loved education perhaps more than anything else. He also loved his community and took the time to personally try to make a difference every day. He even served as a volunteer at a halfway house for troubled youth, demonstrating his willingness to roll up his sleeves to try and help those less fortunate than himself.
Throughout his life-long journey, Bob had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and culture, both conventional and unconventional, which he pursued with vigor, wonder, and respect. He was willing to listen to those that disagreed with him, always offering people the dignity and respect that he felt that they deserved, regardless of their appearance, job title, or what degrees that they had, always giving more than they were accustomed to, and in many cases even if it was a perfect stranger. He was a compassionate family man, a loving husband, a hard worker, and had a deep sense of being an active part of his community. He was passionate about what he believed in, a patriot, was always up for an adventure, and was never afraid of a challenge. He will be missed by so many and remembered as a man of principal. He must have had a million stories to tell, often with anecdotes, and to his family he really was the original “Most interesting man in the world”. We will miss his extraordinary reading talent reading books such as The Chronicles of Narnia to his family each year.
May he rest in peace.
Saturday May 22, 2021
9:45AM Visitation
11:00AM Funeral Service
Brown Funeral Home, South Berkeley Chapel
287 Arden Nollville Road
Inwood West Virginia 25428
Phone 304-229-4977
*There will be no graveside service following this memorial.
Visitors will be required to wear face masks, practice social distancing and follow directives.