William Thomas Brown, Sr.

Funeral mass for Mr. Brown will be held on Monday, February 3, 2014 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church with Monsignor Thomas Kirk officiating. Interment will follow in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Jackson. Visitation with the family will be held beginning at 9 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church, two hours prior to the service.

Bill was born on November 3, 1927 in Hartwell, Georgia to the late Benson and Jewell Brown. He is a graduate of Hart County High School in Hartwell, Georgia and the University of Georgia. He also attended Cornell University for additional studies.

Bill is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus and served as Grand Knight of the Father Jay Jackson Council Number 1101. He is a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the Soil Conservation Society of America and served as president of the West Tennessee Chapter. He was also a member of Soil Scientists Association of Tennessee, Tennessee Environmental Health Association, and American Society of Agronomy.

Bill was certified as a professional soil scientist and a professional classifier by the Soil Science Society of America and the Soil Scientist of Tennessee.

After graduating from University of Georgia, he worked as a soil scientist for 34 years for the United States Department of Agriculture. On November 1983, he retired from the Federal Government and the following week went to work for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. He became the manager of the soil scientists for the State of Tennessee. In December 2001, he retired from the state and spent the rest of the time self-employed as a soil consultant.

In addition to his parents, Bill is preceded in death by a brother, Jimmy Brown.

Bill is survived by his wife of 59 years, Pauline Brown; sons, William T. Brown, Jr. (Carol) of Hartwell, GA and Chuck Brown of Memphis, TN; three grandchildren, Allison Snyder (David) and Alex Brown of Hartwell, GA and Chandler Brown of Memphis; He also has several great grandchildren, Olivia and Caroline Rowland, and Jake, Emily, and Aidan Snyder; two brothers, Max Brown (Amanda) and Thornton Brown (Barbara) of Hartwell, GA.

Arrangements are under the direction of George A. Smith and Sons Funeral Home, (731) 427-5555.

Published in The Jackson Sun on Sunday, February 2, 2014