Carl Brown

On Thursday, October 3, 2019, Heaven celebrated the arrival of Carl Albert Brown, a close, personal friend of Jesus Christ. Having been an active and vibrant testimony of God’s love and grace since very early in his 83 years, Carl was welcomed with open arms by his Savior and awarded a crown of righteousness for completing a well-run race. Saddened by his departure but rejoicing in his victory are his loving wife of 62 years, Janet, and his children, Shelley Crawford (William), Carl Brown (Laura), and Cheryl Carey (Steve). Additional gems in his crown include grandchildren: Melissa Crawford Dameron (Jeremy), Matthew Crawford (Leslie), Lauren Crawford Godby (Jacob), Joshua Brown, Benjamin Brown (Courtney), Kendall Carey Dove (Cody), and Kelsey Carey; and great-grandchildren: Josiah, Micah, Isaiah and Elijah Dameron; Cameron, Liam and Josey-Kay Crawford; Makaela, Kalea and Nalani Godby; and Carter Brown.

After marrying Janet in 1957 and receiving his B.S. in chemical engineering from Drexel University in 1958, the Brown family moved from Philadelphia to Plainfield, NJ; Paducah, KY; Meadville, PA; Fredericksburg, VA; Stone Mountain, GA; and, finally back to the area of their original hometowns near Allentown, PA. Carl worked for such well-known companies as Monsanto, Air Reduction Chemical and Carbide, FMC, and Kraft Foods. Upon retirement, he and Janet moved back to Virginia to be near his and Janet’s most cherished possessions, their children and their families. Carl’s favorite monikers were “Papa” when his grandchildren were little and later, “Pop” as they got older.

Carl was pleased to be near his grandchildren and took an active part in their lives. He felt so blessed to know that each of his children, their spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (of age) had taken Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Carl was a quiet man, but his life spoke volumes concerning his relationship to the Lord. He was a consummate student of the Bible, active in whatever church he was attending, often serving as a teacher, deacon, and close advisor to his pastor. One of his greatest joys was singing in the choir. Whether as a tenor or bass, you could always find Carl using his smooth, melodious voice to sing praises to his Lord. There is surely a choir in Heaven that is very excited over their new member.

After early retirement, Carl continued to work. With Janet in the safe care of family, Carl spent several years applying his engineering expertise for E & V Construction, managing highly specialized manufacturing projects for Kraft Foods around the country. Everywhere he went, Carl left a lasting impression of honesty, integrity, and the love of God. When he finally settled down, he taught chemistry and physics at Faith Baptist School in Fredericksburg, in the company of his daughter, Shelley. Beloved by his students and all who knew him, the influence of his life and testimony is impossible to measure.

When Shelley and William retired, Carl and Janet chose to move with them to Orlando, where they had enjoyed so many memorable family vacations over the years. There, he became active at Church at the Cross and was a valuable member of the senior Legacy Singers choir.

Carl’s unwavering faith has now become sight. While he is now enjoying the rewards of a life well-lived in service to Jesus, he will be sorely missed by the family and friends who must wait their turns. We love you, Carl (Husband, Dad, Papa and Pop), and we look forward to our reunion with you someday.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Church at the Cross building fund www.catcorlando.com.