Joseph Marcus Brown

Mark was born on May 30, 1925 to Herman and Emma Sims Brown in Andalusia, Alabama. He grew up and went to school in Andalusia, graduating in 1943.

He immediately enlisted and went to Naval Officer Training School. He served in World War II as navigator, commissary and health officer, and commander of mine sweeper YMS-95 stationed in Subic Bay, Philippines.

Mark attended Auburn University and graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. During this time he met and married his wife of 57 years, Norma Violet Hollingsworth of Georgetown, Texas.

He had a varied and successful engineering career with a number of companies including Brown & Root, Texas Instruments and the University of Texas Defense Research Lab.

For 17 years Mark worked for HEB Grocery Company doing electrical and mechanical design of their stores, offices and industrial plants throughout Texas.

Mark was a devoted member of First Presbyterian Church in Corpus Christi and Madison Square Presbyterian Church in San Antonio. He especially enjoyed singing in the choir and Bible study.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Eugene Brown. He is survived by his step-mother, Ollie B Brown; his wife, Norma; one brother, Robert Brown and wife Judy; three children, Pat Merkord and husband Glenn, Riley Brown and wife Vicky, and Tanya Garrison and husband Mark; eight grandchildren, Jeffery and Andrew Haller, Christopher and Nicole Merkord, Marcus and Aaron Brown, and Grant and Brooke Garrison; two great-grandchildren, Madison and Mandi Haller; and many nieces and nephews.