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Rev. Mr. William J Brown III, originally of Aliquippa, PA, aged 81, died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, July 2,. 2023. Bill (Pappy) is survived by his son Kevin P. Brown, his wife Christine Schlegel Brown, and their children Keagan, Connor and Kellen of Eau Claire, WI; and his daughter Kara Brown Quist, her husband Dr. Michael Quist, and their children Patrick and AnnaRose. They reside in Concord, NH. He is also survived by brother George E. Brown and sister-in-law Cindy Brobeck Brown of Center Township, Monaca, PA; brother-in-law John “Jack” Sommer and his wife Judy Sommer of Beaver Falls, PA; and brother-in-law Eugene “Gene” Sommer and his wife Barb Sommer of Pittsburgh, PA.
He was preceded in death by the love of his life for 44 years, Kathryn Sommer Brown of Beaver, PA and his parents William and Annabelle Redfern Brown of Aliquippa, PA.
Bill was born in Beaver Falls, PA on September 26, 1941. He graduated from Aliquippa High School in 1959 and attended Indiana Teachers College. Bill proudly served his Country during the Vietnam era in the United Stated Navy as a Radar Repair Specialist. After 4 years of service, he joined IBM for a 35-year tenure. Here, he helped to develop the infancy of technologies we utilize today, such as internet-based phone protocol and other digital communication. Following IBM, Bill was called to the Deaconate in the Catholic Church. After ordination in Washington DC, he served parishes in Gaithersburg, MD, St. Johnsbury, VT, Gilman/Lunenburg, VT, Rollinsford, NH and Somersworth, NH. As a highlight of his Diaconate, Bill served Haitian immigrants, the homeless in Washington DC, helped with the construction of a homeless rehab farm in West Virginia and assisted with his wife Kathy in the creation of a food pantry/soup kitchen in Gaithersburg, MD. Following his retirement from the Deaconate he lived with the Quist’s in Concord, NH and found extreme pleasure in watching his grandchildren become young adults.
Pappy loved to pass time by playing word game puzzles, reading, watching cooking and classic car auctions on tv while having dog companionship with the ever-loving Great Dane named Chief.
Bill will be interred at New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen with Kathy at his side on Thursday, July 13th at 12 noon, 110 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen NH 03303. He asked you to dress as if you were coming to hang out with a friend. The Cremation Society of NH is assisting the family with arrangements. To view an online memorial, leave a message of condolence, or for more information please visit https://csnh.com/.
Special thanks to Tina with the VNA and Suzanne with the CAPS Program through the VA. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that people donate in his memory and his calling to serve others. The work of these organizations made it possible for him to be at home surrounded by his daughter and her family until his final days. www.granitevna.org or www.capbm.org/senior-companion
