He was born on May 15, 1932 in Canton, N.C. At age 6, he joined his brothers and sisters at the Pythian Home Orphanage in Clayton, N.C. The Knights of Pythias fraternal organization continued to be a large influence throughout his life as he became an officer in his local lodge and maintained his membership until his passing. Kenneth attended the Clayton School until he joined the Navy in December 1951, where he served on the U. S. S. Richard B. Anderson until he received an honorable discharge in May 1953. He worked in the banking industry until 1986 and then ran a successful construction business until his official retirement in 1995.
In April 1956, Kenneth married Dorothy Jones, with whom he had two children — a son, Edward, and a daughter, Debra. Kenneth and Dorothy were married 64 years before her death in March 2020.
In addition to his wife Dorothy, Kenneth is predeceased by his mother Nettie Brown, father David Lonzo Brown, stepfather Stanley Garfield, sisters Lily, Beatrice, Gertrude and Margaret, and brothers, Tom, Bobby and David Lonzo Jr.
Kenneth is survived by his son, Edward Keith Brown (Elizabeth), daughter, Debra Brown Willmschen (Royce), and four amazing granddaughters, Nicole Brown, Heather Brown, Natalie Willmschen, and Claire Willmschen.
Kenneth was beloved and cherished by all who met him and is fondly remembered by the many people who knew and loved him. He had a big heart and touched many people with his kindness. He was a wonderful father and grandfather. He often told stories about his incredible life experiences, and many people were blessed to hear these stories in his final weeks. Later in life, he began painting and was an incredible artist. With no formal training, he painted beautiful nature scenes that he displayed around his home or gave to family and friends. At his home in Raleigh, he liked to sit on his front porch and feed the local deer, who would eat apples or slices of bread right from his hand. He affectionately named two of these deer — Mabel and Myrtle. In the past few days, his family is still faithfully feeding these precious creatures, who continue to look for their friend every day, peeking through either his bedroom window or the front door to catch a glimpse of the kind soul who fed them.
We all profoundly miss Kenneth. Heaven has truly gained a new angel.
A graveside burial service is planned for Sunday, July 5, at 2:00 pm at Pinecrest Memorial Park 12830 US 70 Business Hwy W, Clayton, NC. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
The family requests no flowers at this time. Instead, please send donations in Kenneth’s honor to the charity of your choosing.
