Lawrence Edward Brown

Larry joined the best party already in full swing, leaving us all behind to carry on without him. He passed while surrounded by deep love, compassionate care, singing birds, and summer flowers at the Shepherd Comfort Care Home in Penfield, NY.

Predeceased by his dear wife of 61 years, Betty, he is survived by his loving daughter Monica, his favorite son-in-law John, and many cherished nieces, nephews, friends, and fellow volunteers.

Larry was raised in the Binghamton area before graduating from Cornell where, according to Betty, “there wasn’t a party he didn’t know about.” Larry served his Country by joining the US Coast Guard, and then by becoming a Federal employee for 29 years with the US Department of Agriculture. He lived in Jamestown for more than 53 years and, after he retired, continued to give back to others. He was a member of Kiwanis since 1965 (and delivered the Kiwanis Terrific Kids award every month at every Jamestown middle school since 1998), and was a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Larry amassed more than 11,000 volunteer hours (a record!) at his beloved Audubon Center maintaining its arboretum, trails, and ponds. He was a recipient of the President’s Gold Volunteer Service award, established by President George W Bush. Larry was also a dedicated parishioner at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Jamestown.

Larry loved being outside, and was never happier than when he was planning for or working in his flower gardens, fishing in Chautauqua lake, or contributing at Audubon. An avid note-taker, Larry was smart, endlessly curious, always observant, kind, and quietly funny; if you were on the receiving end of one of his blue-eyed winks, it made your day. He so loved his work, his family, and his life. He was content, and was just the best Dad and father-in-law. He will be forever and always missed by those who love him.

A memorial service will be held in Jamestown at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Larry’s memory to the Shepherd Home (shepherdhome.org) or to the Jamestown Audubon Community Nature Center (auduboncnc.org). A special thank-you to his friends and staff at The Gables of Brighton, and to the wonderful hospice care team at Strong Hospital.

“We are all just walking each other home.”