Robert A. Brown Jr.

Robert (Bob) A. Brown, Jr., of Scarsdale, New York, at 97 years old, died on March 3, 2026, exactly one month shy of his 98th birthday. He passed away peacefully at home in his own bed, which was his sincere hope and wish. His children had recently determined that it was time to move him to assisted living, and had planned to discuss the move with him that evening. We know Bob is smiling, having scuttled that plan.

Bob will be remembered for his love of family, friends, tennis and other sports, but his love of platform tennis (“paddle”) held a special place. He organized, ran, and competed in scores of paddle tennis tournaments, both locally and nationally. When his chances of winning national tournaments in the 70-and-over category began to decline, he created a new age category of national tournaments, i.e., 145+ (where the combined ages of each team had to equal or exceed 145 years of age). Naturally, each year, as he advanced in age, he recruited and competed with younger and younger partners!

Regardless of his status as an organizer or player, he thrived on the experience. And, he won so many national paddle tennis tournaments that he was inducted into the Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame and the Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame. He last won a national paddle tournament at the age of 84, making him the oldest person in the history of the game to win a national championship. However, that wasn’t the point of his involvement with paddle; it was the joy of participating in the many facets of the game.

His beloved clubs, where he played both tennis and paddle, were Fox Meadow Tennis Club, in Scarsdale, NY, and Shenorock Shore Club, in Rye, NY, where he was a past president of both.

Bob was born on April 3, 1928, in New York, New York, to Pamela Baker Brown and Robert A. Brown, Sr. Bob graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1946, subsequently received a B.S. degree in engineering from the University of Virginia (UVA), of which he has been a lifelong supporter, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Prior to business school, he worked briefly as an engineer at the Grumman Corporation. After business school, he embarked on a long career as an executive in the oil business, working for Stanvac in Sumatra, Indonesia; Esso in (then) Bombay, India, and Karachi, Pakistan; and Mobil in New York City.

Then, in the late 80s, when Mobil moved its headquarters from New York to Fairfax, Virginia, and expected all of its employees to move, in response, Bob surprised everyone in his life by pivoting away from the oil business and becoming certified as a financial advisor. He then worked in finance, both with Mass Mutual and independently, for decades. He attempted retirement a few times, but those efforts were strongly rebuffed by his clients. As a result, he continued working in the field until his retirement in his late 80s.

Bob was a devoted husband to Ann Butler Brown, to whom he was married for 66 years; sadly, she passed away in 2020 due to complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Bob is survived by his sister Elizabeth (Betty) Chambers, of Alexander City, AL; his son Scott Brown and wife Maria Pannullo, of Pelham, NY; his daughters Jennifer Shyer, of Ridgefield, CT, and Rebecca DeBrocke, of Tampa, FL; and grandchildren Cassidy Dwyer Bishop and Patrick Dwyer; Griffin and Grace Shyer; Danielle and Dylan DeBrocke; and Nathalie and Claudia Brown. As well as Ann, he was predeceased by his sister, Pamela Simpson, and his daughter, Leslie Dwyer.

Though not a regular churchgoer, to cover all the bases, Bob was a lifelong member and supporter of St. James the Less Church in Scarsdale, NY. A celebration of life will be held at St. James the Less on April 25th, at 2:00 pm, followed by a reception in the Great Hall. Family and friends are invited to join in celebrating Bob’s legacy.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, at alz.org/donate or 800-272-3900, in Ann and Bob’s memory.

A celebration of life will be held at St. James the Less Church, 10 Church Lane, Scarsdale, NY, on April 25th, at 2:00 pm, followed by a reception in the Great Hall.