Senator John F. Brown

Former New Jersey State Senator John F. Brown, "father of the New Jersey lottery" and an early proponent of casino gambling in Atlantic City, passed away on November 2, 2011, in Ft. Lauderdale. He was 84 years old.

Brown, a Republican, never lost an election. His career in public service began in 1961. He was elected to the Lakewood, NJ Township Committee and served as both a committee member and mayor. In 1965, he was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly. His success as an assemblyman was recognized by the State Freeholders Association which chose him as the 1969 Legislator of the Year. After three terms in the State Assembly he was elected to the State Senate in 1971. Senator Brown received wide acclaim for his successful sponsorship of the New Jersey lottery bill and he became known as "the father of the New Jersey lottery." Other notable accomplishments during Brown's decades of public service include Paul Kimball Hospital Board member, President of the Lakewood Board of Health, Lakewood Police Commissioner and Chairman of both the Lakewood Library and Parks and Recreation Boards.

Senator Brown was born and raised in Lakewood, NJ, and graduated from Lakewood High School in 1945. He was an all-state basketball star who brought his team to within two points of the 1943-44 State Championship. Brown enlisted in the Army and served with the occupational forces in Europe. Upon his return to the States, he joined the family's heating and oil business, simultaneously attending Rider College. He resumed his basketball career while at Rider College and, in 1949, was one of the top ten scorers in the nation. After leaving politics and public service, he occupied himself with ventures in private business. In 1981, he retired to South Florida. He was an avid fisherman and talented golfer. Those who knew him and whose lives he touched remember his honest, loving, and kind hearted nature. His door was always open, and open widest, for individual constituents and often slammed shut in the face of the "big guys." Those who knew him best will never forget his deft ability for relating an anecdote, perhaps a trait that helped open the door to his political career and the opportunity he cherished most, helping as many as he could as much as he could.

Brown is survived by his beloved wife, Natalie Levy Brown; his sisters, Barbara Cannestro, Jeanne Bowley, and Patricia Cuccaro; children, Charles, Barbara Jo Riivald, Bill and his wife Susan, Valerie Remig and her husband Craig; stepchildren Steven Levy and his wife Gabrielle and Karen Levy Taylor and her husband Mike; his grandchildren Dava Leigh, Clayton, Lauren, Bill Jr., Lilia and Charles; and great-grandchildren Madison and Paxton.

A memorial gathering will be held Sunday, November 27, 2011, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the D’Elia Funeral Home, Rte. 70 & Vermont Avenue, Lakewood, NJ. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20004.