Jack Marvin Brown

Jack M. Brown, 71, of Lowndesboro, passed away on Sunday, December 27, 2020. He was preceded in death by his father, William F. Brown, and mother, Opal Wynell McGhee Brown. Jack is survived by his aunt, Carolyn McGhee Johnson, and cousins Marie Cabrices, Bradley M. Johnson, Daphne Davis (Stevie), Kenneth M. McGhee, Martha Maron, and Linda, Buddy, Leeanna, Timothy, David, John and Agnes Kurpa.

Jack was an Eagle Scout, and he was always prepared. He embodied the scout law in his daily life because he was trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, and reverent.

He graduated from Robert E. Lee and received a band scholarship to the University of Alabama. In college, he went from trombone to bass guitar in a rock in roll band. Following college graduation, he obtained employment at Southland Insurance Company where he was introduced to state regulation. He loved state insurance regulation so much became a contract insurance examiner for the Alabama Department of Insurance. After two years as a contract examiner, Jack became an employee of the State of Alabama. He bounced from department to department for two years until he landed his permanent gig as an insurance examiner with the Alabama Department of Insurance. He worked for the State of Alabama for 31 years and eleven months. During his tenure with the Insurance Department, Jack served in the capacity of Deputy Receiver for the Alabama Commissioner of Insurance in the liquidation of Early American Insurance Company in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1988, Jack went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana as Examiner-in-Charge of the examination Champion Insurance Company because the Department had received numerous daily complaints that Champion was not paying claims. Jack and W.O. Myrick identified that Champion had more than $180 million in unpaid claims in Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee. Jack assisted the US Attorney in prosecuting the two top officers of Champion. Both pleaded guilty to various federal charges and were sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $500,000 each by a federal district court judge. The Louisiana Insurance Commissioner, Doug Green, also went to prison because of information gathered from this examination. Jack was always proud of the fact that he was referred to as the “sad face little man” in Patricia King Eicher’s book on the scandal.

Jack received the Don Fritz Award from the Society of Financial Examiners for his outstanding service and dedication to the goals of the Society while serving as the 2003 - 2004 State Chair for Alabama, and in 2001, Jack set in motion what is now the Market Conduct Section of the Examination Division.