A.D. Brown of Mesa, Arizona passed away on April 6, 2012. A.D. was a decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and one of the founding members of the USAF Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team. A.D. was born near Dyerburg, Tennessee in 1922, trained as an airplane mechanic and joined the military service in 1945. He flew combat missions during the Korean War, flew all around the world as a Thunderbird, and retired from the Air Force in 1970. He then worked for Northrop, both at the Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego supporting the Top Gun squadron and later at Williams Air Force base in Mesa, where he retired with his wife Kathleen. A.D. enjoyed touring the country on his motorcycle, going fishing, and enjoying a strong martini and a good cigar. He is survived by two sons, Gary and James, Gary's wife Martha, his daughter Lori and her partner Jay, and two granddaughters, Brittany and Jennifer. Memorial services will be held for A.D. on Sunday, April 15th at 11 AM at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park at 6747 East Broadway in Mesa.
