Robert Morton Brown, known to all as Bob, was born on October 21, 1924 at San Francisco, California and passed away on September 9, 2021 at Westlake Village, California. Bob grew up with his mother Mildred in the home of his grandparents, Martin and Gussie Brown. Bob graduated from George Washington High School early in 1943. In high school, he played the drums and participated in the amateur radio club, which provided a foundation for his career in radio and television.
Bob entered the United States Army Air Corps immediately following graduation from high school. He attended Army Radio School and attained an MOS of Radio Operator AAC. Bob was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and oversaw a detail of five men in the main Army Air Corps radio station in India where he supported air operations in the Burma-India-China theatre during WWII. Bob returned to San Francisco in March 1946 following the end of the war.
Bob married his high school sweetheart, Joyce Adelson, in January 1947. Bob and Joyce would have three children: Susan Kozek, Deanna Refkin and David A. Brown.
Bob worked a number of jobs for NBC, including Radio Station Operator and Disk Jockey in Stockton, California. In 1955, Bob and the family moved to Los Angeles where Bob transitioned from radio to television. In his career in television, and particularly sports broadcasting, Bob enjoyed broad travel. He attended two Olympics (Tokyo 1964 and Sapporo 1972) (and would have attended the Moscow games in 1980), hundreds of football and baseball games and too many golf tournaments to count. He worked for NBC for more than forty years, retiring as Manager of Technical Operations for the West Coast. Bob received an Emmy Award for Excellence in Sports Production for his work at the 1978 Worlds Series.
Bob and Joyce bought their retirement home in Camarillo Springs and greatly enjoyed the community they found there. They enjoyed the pool, pickle ball, the bridge group and found a spiritual home at Temple Ner Ami. They spent the next twenty-six years in Camarillo until moving to assisted living in Westlake Village.
Bob was an “early adopter”. He bought the first four-function digital calculator, the first Pulsar digital watch, the first Honda 750 four-cylinder motorcycle, the first Honda Gold Wing motorcycle and the first Smart car imported to the United States, which he drove regularly into his 96th year.
Bob is survived by Joyce, his loving wife of 74 years, sister Lila Boragno of Foster City, and by daughter and son in law Deanna (Didi) and Marty Refkin, son David A. Brown and daughter in law Cheryl, and by son in law Jeff Kozek. Bob is also survived by grandchildren Lisa (and Chris) Stevenson, Kimberly (and Rob) Mrvos, Aaron Brown and Jason (and Shawna) Kozek, and by great grandchildren Jarren and Sabrina Kozek, DC and Adam Stevenson, Jordan and Brody Mrvos and Hiro, Taiga and Aya Brown. Bob was predeceased by his daughter Susan Kozek and his grandson Elton Forsyth Brown.
The ritual of burial according to Jewish law will take place on Sunday, September 12th, 2021 at 10 am at the Beth Shalom section of Conejo Mountain Memorial Park, 2052 Howard Road, Camarillo, California. Cantor Linda Ecker, a family friend for fifty years, will officiate.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Sunrise Senior Living and Los Robles Hospice for the outstanding care shown Bob in his last months. In lieu of flowers, should you wish to make a donation in his memory, please consider Los Robles Hospice or Temple Ner Ami, or the charity of your choice.
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