Bernard Fox Brown

Bernard Fox Brown, formerly of Las Cruces, New Mexico, went to be with his Lord and Savior on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, November 8, 2015. His daughter Gail and husband, JP were by his side, as he left this earth. He was so ready to get to heaven to be reunited with his wife of 70 years and meet his Lord.

Bernard was born April 7, 1926 to Mamie Deliah and Bernard F. Brown Sr. in Clovis, NM. He played basketball for Portales High School where he met the love of his life, Grace Doris Fields, in math class, where Bernard first remarked to himself, as Grace wrote an equation on the black board, “That girl has beautiful legs and I am going to ask her out!” They were married Oct. 28, 1944 in Barstow, California, at the home of Bernard’s parents, while Bernard served in the United States Navy, during World War II on the USS Matanikau.

Bernard and Grace moved to Las Cruces in 1960, where they owned B&B Refrigeration Co. and also farmed pecans in Garfield, New Mexico. Bernard most cherished his role as a Christian husband and father and spent his life serving God and taking care of his family. Bernard was ordained as a Deacon at Mesilla Park Baptist Church in 1965 and took his role as a leader in the church, very seriously. He and his family spent time getting to know the many college students that attended the church, by taking them out for dinner on Sunday. He also volunteered his time to the he loved, through 4-H projects with his daughters, Rotary and the Lions Club. They later moved to First Baptist Church and made additional friends there. In 2012, Bernard and Grace moved to Nacogdoches, Texas, to live with their daughter Gail and husband JP Martinez, as their health declined. Bernard will be laid to rest, next to his beloved wife on what would have been her 89th birthday, November 11th at Sunset Memorial Park in Nacogdoches, Texas.

He is survived by two daughters, three grandchildren and five great grandchildren; Charley Green of Roswell, New Mexico, Gail Martinez and husband JP Martinez, of Nacogdoches, Clarissa April, Harper (his first grandchild who he lovingly shared the same birthday with), her husband Tyrel, and children, Graylin and Kinley, of Silver City, NM, Matthew David Norman and his wife Shaundra and children, Calissa , Payton, and Coby of Carlsbad, NM, and Adam Thomas Allen and his wife Sarah, of Ft. Worth, Texas.

Bernard was very proud of each of his grandchildren and great grandchildren and realized great pleasure in knowing that all of his family members loved the Lord. He was a blessing to all who knew him.