Dwight Carleton Brown

Dwight Carleton Brown passed away in Houston, Texas on March 4, 2014, soon after celebrating his 93rd birthday. He was born February 13, 1921, one of 7 children of Hazel Jeffords and Carl S. Brown of Claremont, New Hampshire. He is survived by sisters Elaine Felton of Laconia, N.H. and Marilyn Livingston of Claremont.

In 1939 he graduated Salutatorian from Stevens High School in Claremont, where he had been active in chorus and theatre. He received his BA in chemical engineering at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York and later obtained his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, New Jersey.

In Troy, he met Thelma Warren to whom he was married 71 years and who preceded him in death in October 2013.

Dwight did intelligence work in Washington, D.C. while serving in the Navy during World War II. He went on to an accomplished and wide-ranging career in research and development, marketing, sales and corporate management at a variety of US companies including Stauffer Chemical Company, Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., Titan Group, Inc., and Universal Stress Relieving. He continued to work into his eighties, finishing his formal business career as a consultant for Hermes Architects. Dwight was a hard-working, well-respected and brilliant businessman who was known for his integrity and his insightful grasp of the complex business environments in which he worked.

A child of the Depression, Dwight was frugal and believed his priority was providing a secure financial foundation for his family. We warmly remember him bragging about wearing a pair of shoes for decades or how he would balance tires or do small engine tune-ups on the dining room table, much to our mother’s dismay.

Dwight was a charismatic man with a sharp wit, especially with puns. He had an amazing vocabulary and a huge intellect, encompassing the complexity of knowledge about industry, science, economics, politics, history and world affairs.

Dwight is preceded in death by his wife, Thelma, and his oldest son, Kevin. He is survived by son David Brown and wife Barbara Levin of Greensboro, NC; daughter Karen Jeffords-Brown of St. Paul, MN; son Carlton Brown of Texas City, TX; son Winston Brown and wife Sheryl of Racine, WI; daughter Barbara Boucher and husband Marc of Houston, TX.

He also leaves eight grandchildren: Matthew Brown, Jessica Tanner, Nathaniel Kaar, Shannon Brown, Warren Brown, Jordan Boucher, Anna Boucher, Benjamin Boucher; and two great-grandchildren: Aidan Kaar and Wren Tanner.

The family extends deep gratitude to Lillian Flores-Perez, N.P. and all the staff of University Place in Houston, TX for their compassionate care of Dwight during his last 5 years. We especially thank Andy Yeh and Festus Umatta, who not only cared with excellence for our Dad, but also became his friends.

Visitation will be held from 1PM to 3PM on Sunday, March 9, 2014 at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home. A memorial service to celebrate his life will follow at 3PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to: Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, Gifts Processing Center, P.O. Box 3164, Boston, MA 02241-3164. Checks may be made out to Rensselaer Annual Fund with a note in the memo line “in memory of Dwight C. Brown 1943". Donors may also contribute online at http://www.rpi.edu/giving/annualfund.html Or to: The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research, 199 Water Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10038, in memory of Dwight C. Brown.