James David Brown, Jr. (J.D.) went to be with his Lord and Savior on Sept. 1, 2020 at the age of 85. J.D. was born October 9, 1934 in Mobile, AL to James David Brown, Sr., and Grace Scott Brown. He married the love of his life Katherine Elizabeth Armbrecht (Betsy) on October 27, 1952. Shortly thereafter he began his career as a secretary with Southern Industries in Mobile, where he worked for 31 years eventually becoming President of S.I. Lime Company, headquartered in Birmingham. He spent the final 27 years of his career in Birmingham as President of Jemison Industries, a diversified holding company and as a member of the Board Directors of its owner, Jemison Investment Co. He was president of numerous national and international trade associations. He shared his success by generously supporting many charitable organizations, but none was more important to him than his beloved Amistad, an orphanage in Cochabamba Bolivia. J.D. and Betsy lived in several different cities throughout their years together, and in each location, J.D. was very active in his church. He was Senior Warden of St. Mary’s Church in Franklin, LA, the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, and St. James Episcopal Church in Alexander City, AL, where he and Betsy spent the first 10 years of their retirement. J.D. was preceded in death by his parents James David Brown, Sr. and Grace Scott Brown, his sisters Pauline Armstead and Inez Wilson and his grandson William Austin Brown. He is survived by his loving wife of more than 67 years Betsy Armbrecht Brown, his children James David Brown III (Janie), Paterson Brown Booth (Oliver) and Grace Brown Avant (Tom), his grandchildren James David Brown IV (Yaicha), Elizabeth Avant Kiser (Jake), Katherine Booth Brower (Matt), Mary-Margaret Brown Curtis (Andrew), Thomas Reed Avant (Rachael), Milton Oliver Booth III (Bess), Robert Chapman Brown (Abby), May Kammer Avant Kasten (Jay), 15 great-grandchildren, his sisters Gladys Brown Reeves and Betty Jane Brown Kennedy and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be celebrated by the immediate family on Tuesday September 8, 2020 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Mountain Brook, AL.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church or to The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center for the William Austin Brown Endowed Professorship in Neuro-Oncology.
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