Douglas Lee Brown

Douglas Lee Brown, 74, departed this life on July 2, 2021, at home surrounded by his family, after a brief battle with cancer. Doug was born on March 21, 1947, in Miami, Florida, to the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Douglas Brown. He and his sister, the late Denice Brown Simmons, grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where he graduated from Ramsay High School in 1965. Doug studied history at Auburn University, where he was active in Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and served on the staff of The Auburn Plainsman newspaper. Upon graduation in 1969, he taught seventh grade social studies for one year in Huntsville, then enrolled at the University of Alabama in 1970, earning a Master's degree in European History in 1972, and a Juris Doctorate in 1975 from the School of Law, where he served on the Law Review. After passing the bar, he completed a federal clerkship for Judge Sam Pointer in Birmingham before accepting a position with Armbrecht Jackson LLP in Mobile, where he started his legal career with a focus on admiralty, maritime, and insurance defense law. In 2005, Doug co-founded the firm of Brady, Radcliff & Brown LLP, where he completed his 45-year legal career as a leader in his field.

Throughout his life, Doug was devoted to his faith, family, and friendships. He made friends wherever he went, but especially from his active involvement at Ashland Place United Methodist Church, where his service took many forms, from Sunday School teacher to Lay Leader, and in professional organizations, including the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute and the International Association of Defense Counsel.

Doug leaves behind his wife of 51 years, Carol, and their three children and ten beautiful and talented grandchildren: Meredith (and Van) Hilleary, and their children Laura, Susanna, Ginny, and Campbell, of Hendersonville, Tennessee; Whitney (and Derek) McCoy, and their children Morgan, Brooks, and Graham, of The Woodlands, Texas; and Chad (and Caroline) Brown, and their children Henry, Sarah Louise, and Wilson, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is also survived by his esteemed uncle Carroll Brown of New York, New York, and many beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial service celebrating Doug's life will be held at Ashland Place United Methodist Church on Friday, July 9, at noon. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Doug's memory to Ashland Place UMC (https://www.apumc.com/outreach-donations), Government Street UMC (https://www.govstumc.org/give), or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/whitneybrownmccoy).