Elmer R. Brown Jr. passed away in the early morning of Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, with his loving wife Joan and devoted son Kirk by his side.
Elmer was born Sept. 2, 1931, to parents Elmer and Catherine Greager Brown in Shamokin, Pa. He was predeceased by sisters Beverly and Doris; and nephew Frank.
Raised in a coal mining family, Elmer graduated from Shamokin High School in 1949. He married his high school sweetheart, Joan Forcheski, in 1953. He joined and served in the U. S. Navy in the early years of their marriage, where his service took him to the Mediterranean during the Korean War, aboard the USS Oriskany
Elmer was the first in his family to go to college, earning his associate degree from University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Accounting and Finance and his bachelor of science degree from Pennsylvania State University. He worked three jobs to put himself through school and support his family. He and Joan raised four sons and two daughters, instilling in them the strength of the Lord in their lives, the importance of a loving family and a strong work ethic.
After many years of hard work and loyal service at Albany International Co. Monophilment Plant as comptroller, Elmer and his wife retired to the Rehoboth area in 1996 near their cousin Dolores (and her endearing dog Fu).
Elmer enjoyed the beach and golfing for pleasure until he became legally blind as a result of macular degeneration. It was a Godsend that the Lions Club of Rehoboth and the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired provided him with machines that enabled him to read and listen to many audio books.
He was an active member of New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Lewes and is fondly remembered for his robust storytelling, quick wit, and being an avid football fan, especially of his Penn State Nittany Lions.
Many note how endearing it was to see Elmer and Joan holding hands, as their unity and devotion to each other could never be missed.
Elmer is survived by his sons Keith and his wife Rhonda of Monroe, N.C., Kevin and his wife Cathie of Venice, Fla., Kirk of Lewes, and Kerry of Ashland, Va.; daughters Michelle and husband Scott Rivet of Neenah, Wis., and Maria and husband Quintin Johnson of Georgetown; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 8:45 a.m., Friday, Nov. 16, at New Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3072 Savannah East Dr., Lewes, where friends may visit beginning at 8 a.m. Burial with Navy honors will follow at the Delaware Veterans Cemetery, Millsboro. Friends may also visit from 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday Nov. 15, at the Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to: Lions Club of Rehoboth, P. O. Box 291, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, New Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3072 Savannah East Dr., Lewes, DE 19958, or Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.
