Nicholas Albert Brown

Nicholas Albert Brown , a native Houstonian, passed away peacefully on August15, 2026 with his family with him. He was born at St. Joseph Hospital August 3, 1934, first of the 3 sons of Agnes Barrow Brown and James Albert Brown, M.D.

Nick attended Woodrow Wilson Elementary, Lanier Junior High and San Jacinto High School, where he ran track, played football, learned to type and discovered Physics. As a boy he had enjoyed violin lessons and the music he played, but an early teenage male just didn’t play a violin back then, so he put it down. He belonged to the Boy Scouts through high school years and enjoyed canoe trips. In high school he discovered guitar, and it remained his instrument of choice for as long as he was able to play. He enjoyed singing along with it, and the folk song revival in the 60’s was a perfect fit. After graduation from high school, Nick entered The Rice Institute (now University) to study physics. He completed his bachelor’s degree and, having been in the NROTC program at Rice, was claimed by the government for two years of service in the Navy. In its usual wisdom they sent him to the Naval Aviation Supply Depot in Philadelphia to write specs for whatever supplies ships ordered, making sure the standards were met including, to his amusement, the standards for toilet paper. After one year alone in Philadelphia Nick drove back to Houston to marry his fiancée, Anne Westerfield, the day after her graduation from Rice. They returned to Philly, and when his 2 years were up, returned to Houston with 2 cats and a baby boy. Nick returned to Rice to work toward a master’s degree and PhD, and Anne taught school.

Two degrees and 2 more baby boys later, Nick began his 30+ year career with Texaco’s Exploration and Production Technology Department. His group worked with NASA to determine the depth of the soft “soil” on the moon’s surface, to find how far people or things might sink into it. When he left Rice computers used punch cards. During his time at Texaco, he was involved in working with the installation of the room-sized computer system from Cray that required its own very chilly environment, and became more a geophysicist, analyzing exploration data. During these years he also was a Boy Scout leader, Little League coach, faithful audience at any and all school performances and member of the Bellaire High School PTO. And then he discovered sailing, joined the Lake Houston, and later Clear Lake Sailing Club and bought a Lido 14, a sailing dingy. And enjoyed both small boat competitions and crewing larger boats in off-shore races. Then came a favorite role – grandfather. Nick loved babies, and thoroughly enjoyed his grandchildren. He rarely missed a Little League game, a Girls Softball game, or a band concert from elementary through high school.

After retiring early he took up genealogy and traced both his family and Anne’s, building on work his uncle and Anne’s father had begun before computers. The combination of the flood from Harvey and the toll of Alzheimer’s necessitated a move. Brazos Towers at Bayou Manor became our new home and a great blessing. We are so thankful for the Healthcare Center where Nick spent almost a year in the loving care of the nursing staff.

Nick was predeceased by his parents and sons Stephen and David Brown. He is survived by his beloved wife of 69 years, Anne, his son Alan and wife Cheri (McCaleb), his cherished grandchildren Aubrey Miller (Sean) and Matthew Brown, his brothers Wilder and Peter (Carol Gillespie) and their sons and grandsons, cousins Quintin Armen Finley (Nancy) and JM Finley (Roz).

Visitation and remembrance will be held at Earthman’s Bellaire (4525 Bissonnet) Sunday from 4 – 6. There will be a Memorial Service at Holy Ghost Church (corner of Bellaire and Chimney Rock) at 10:00 Monday the 24th, with a reception to follow.

If you wish, donations may be made to Rice University, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Nature Conservancy, or charity of your choice. (Nick like the color blue and really did not like neckties. So …)