June 25, 1924 – August 27, 2020
Alvin Blake Brown, Jr. passed away August 27, 2020. He was born June 25, 1924 in Dallas, Texas, to Alvin Blake Brown and Emma Elizabeth Dillingham. Blake, as he is known by all, (except his grandchildren and great-grandchildren who know him only as “Hopper”), graduated from North Dallas High School in 1941, where he was an officer in the ROTC program. In September, 1941, he entered North Texas Agricultural College in Arlington, Texas, where he met Dorothy Jean Crouch of Grand Prairie. In 1943, Blake enlisted and served in the US Army Air Corps. After his military service, he enrolled in SMU under the GI-bill and graduated in 1947 with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering. At SMU, Blake was an officer in the student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was also a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Blake and Dorothy were married on October 1, 1947, in Grand Prairie and began a lifetime of devotion to each other.
Blake began his engineering career with Haliburton in Duncan, Oklahoma, but soon returned to Dallas to begin a long and distinguished career as a facilities engineer with the Chance Vought (later LTV) aircraft manufacturing plant in Grand Prairie. Blake and Dorothy lived in Dallas where their three children were born and where Blake served as an elder in Bethany Presbyterian Church, located in his childhood neighborhood in the Oak Lawn area. At one point, Blake took leave of his engineering career to focus on church work and in 1961 the family moved to Waxahachie, Texas, where Blake and Dorothy both assumed leadership positions in the United Presbyterian Children’s Home. They served the Home and Central Presbyterian Church of Waxahachie for over 28 years where they positively influenced the lives of hundreds of children and teenagers who grew up at the children’s home. Their legacy of love, devotion and generosity is remembered by all whose lives they touched. Blake resumed his engineering career in 1964, returning to LTV, but he remained in Waxahachie, supporting Dorothy in her positions as director of child care and board member. Ultimately, they were both named Trustee Emeritus of Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services, now serving over 4000 children. Blake retired in 1989 from LTV, but the company continued to call upon his vast knowledge and experience as a special projects consultant for years to come. In their retirement in Grand Prairie, Blake and Dorothy continued to serve their church and Presbyterian Children’s Homes as trustees.
Blake is preceded in death by his parents and sister Peggy Ruth Brown, his beloved wife Dorothy and son David Allen Brown. He is survived by his daughter Peggy Jean Hays and husband David of Sugar Land, son Paul Blake Brown and wife Kellie of Trumann, Arkansas, grandchildren Justin Brown and wife Laurie of Fort Worth, Philip Hays and wife Patricia of Houston, Rachelle Brown McClellan and husband James of Austin, Laura Hays Benson and husband Ben of Houston, Chandler Brown and wife Misty of Grand Prairie, and great-grandchildren Blake Brown and Miles Brown of Fort Worth.
The family wishes memorial contributions be made to Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services, (www.pchas.org), or Alzheimer’s Association, (www.alz.org).
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.beanmasseyburge.com for the Brown family.
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