James Benjamin Brown

James Benjamin Brown of Spring Hill, Florida was the eldest of three children born to the late Lloyd H. Brown and the late Josephine Noisette on July 24, 1918 in Schenectady, New York. He passed away peacefully on December 6, 2016 at Brookdale Spring Hill Senior Living in Spring Hill, Florida.

Jim attended school in Schenectady, where he played football and was a record-breaking track runner. During WWII, he served his country as a part of the all-Black 369th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. Before being deployed overseas to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, he married his sweetheart Charlotte Belle Lawyer of Watervliet, NY on January 9, 1942, a marriage that lasted almost 67 years until her death in 2009. He was awarded the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. A proud veteran, he was honorably discharged on April 5, 1945.

He raised his family in Queens, New York where he worked for the NYC Dept. of Sanitation, rising through the ranks to become a foreman. They moved to Seaford, Long Island in 1957, and he commuted back to the New York City until he retired in 1976. A self-taught mechanical wizard, in retirement, he manifested his considerable engineering skills when he built one of the first electric cars from scratch and proudly drove it around Seaford.

In 1988 he and Charlotte moved to Spring Hill Florida where they enjoyed the sun and social events sponsored by the 369th veterans organization. In June 2014, five years following Charlotte’s death, he moved to Brookdale Assisted Living Facility in Spring Hill, where he was visited by family and was looked after by an exceedingly caring and loving nursing and attendant staff. To cherish his memories and celebrate his life, Jim leaves behind three daughters: Beth Turner of Tallahassee, FL; Janice Brown of Willingboro, NJ; and Cecilia Brown of Milwaukee, WI; two sons: Charles Brown of Wheatley Heights, NY and Martin Brown of Frederick, MD; grandchildren Shairi Turner-Davis and husband Jimmie Davis of Tallahassee, FL; Kaigani Turner and wife Helen Turner of St. Albans, England; Nython Carter and wife Dannielle Carter of Cherry Hill, NJ and Jamila Brown of Willingboro, NJ; great-grandchildren Khari and Aaliyah Davis, Kenyon, Lauren, Emory, Camille and Reese Carter and Julian Brown along with a host of (great) nieces and nephews.

Funeral Arrangements are entrusted to the Turner Funeral Home, 14360 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill, FL 34609 on Saturday, Dec. 17. Viewing from 11 am. Service at 1 pm.