Earnest "Ernie" Leon Brown

Earnest Leon Brown was born to LaNell Brooks and Luis Don Brown October 24, 1940 in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. He lived with his grandmother, Emma, as a child and loved her tremendously. When LaNell married, they traveled a great deal, but finally settled in Lakewood, California.

Ernie was a precocious child and had an affinity for getting into trouble…that’s not surprising to most of us. He got a low mark in PE in 8th grade, his report card said, because he refused to wear his shoes! However, he earned high marks in business classes, where he eventually excelled.

He attended Milikan High School and transferred to Lakewood High School when it was first built. He attended for a few years until he was asked was to leave!

He loved baseball and was invited to play for the West Coast League as a first baseman on the team later known as the Angels! Though, he turned that down to serve his country in the United States Air Force, enlisting in May of 1959.

He thoroughly enjoyed military life and served in a meritorious capacity in each of his units, earned among other distinctions, the Good Conduct Medal. This was far cry from the little kid in PE! He was asked to train for the Counterinsurgency Division prior to his honorable discharge in May of 1963.

After his service, he worked for Mattel Toy Company for a few months until he was accepted into the International Union of Elevator Constructors in November of that year.

He met Beverly in March of 1966, where she impressed him on their first date target shooting with friends Marv and Sandy in the Corona hills. After Ernie set up a row of cans and showed Bea how to use the rifle, when the dust cleared, she’d shot down every last one. She said, “I’m a girl from the country, I know how to milk a cow, shoot a gun and ride a horse.” How’s that for a first date?

Wisely, Ernie decided to marry her, and after a long engagement, exactly two months later, on May 28, 1966, they were married in a candlelight ceremony at the Chapel of the Wedding Bells in Bellflower. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year!

Beverly got pregnant on their honeymoon, but tragedy struck when sadly their first child was stillborn. Today, we can know a reunion has taken place in heaven. The doctors believed Bea was too small to give birth, but she showed them! On February 20th, 1968, Beverly gave birth to a 12 lb., 22-inch baby boy, Ricky Allen, and on January 22nd, 1970, along came Larry Edward. On February 9th, 1976, the door opened for a little blond-haired, blue-eyed angel, Carla Marie.

Ernie enjoyed fatherhood, coaching Little League with Ricky and Larry, T-Ball and Softball with Carla, and Indian Guides with the boys. The family loved camping in the desert riding dirt bikes. Summertime at the Brown’s home in Cerritos had all the neighborhood over to swim and hangout by the pool in the backyard.

He absolutely loved construction and worked for numerous companies earning a solid reputation as a dependable person, eventually becoming a mechanic and then later a foreman on many high profile jobs in Southern California. The family believes he single-handedly supervised all of the elevator construction in Century City!

In 1990, Pat Spencer approached Ernie and asked him to serve as the Business Agent for Local 18. Ernie was shocked, and when he asked why he was considered, Pat replied that he went around to all the jobsites in L.A. and San Diego and asked who they would like to have represent them, and they all said Ernie.

He accepted gratefully and served for 2 terms. When Pat retired, he ran for Business Manager and was elected, serving the local faithfully. In October of 2001, he was elected to serve on the International Board as 2nd Vice President until he was ready to retire in 2009.

During his term as an officer of the IUEC, he was proud to serve as Trustee for the retirement and annuity plans for the brotherhood. He felt his greatest accomplishment came when he was invited to join the organizing team, making history, by forming an International Union in Mexico City.

In retirement, Ernie played golf consistently with his Valley Christian brothers and loved to travel with Bea and their good friends, Terry and Ruth Olsen. He cared for his mother, LaNell, and spent lots of time with his grandchildren. His love and guidance will be missed, but we now know he is in the arms of his Savior.

He is survived by his mother, LaNell Nunemaker; wife, Beverly; son Rick Brown and daughter-in-law Shannon, and their children Amanda, Ashley and Arielle Adams, and her husband Scot, and their children, Andrew and EmmaJean; son Larry Brown and daughter-in-law Stacie and their children Brynia and Taylor; and daughter Carla Spradlin and son-in-law, Michael, and their sons Christian and Cayden.

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