Robert Henry Brown

Robert Henry (Bob) Brown passed away on Tuesday, December 13, 2016. Mr. Brown died peacefully at home with family after a bout of cancer.

He is survived by his loving wife, Carole Yow Brown, daughters Karen Brown Oldham (Marty), Lisa Brown Godwin (Rocky) and a son, Reginald (Reggie) Lee Brown. He also leaves behind 6 grandsons, John Robert Wright, Justin Wright (Terri), Ryan Hedgepath (Holly), John Oldham, Zachary Godwin and Christian Godwin, as well as 3 great-grandchildren, Natalee Wright Camden Wright and Landon Oldham.

A visitation will be held at Rogers-Pickard Funeral Home, Sanford, North Carolina on Wednesday, December 14 at 6 to 8 p.m. A funeral service will be conducted at Swann Station Baptist Church, Sanford, North Carolina at 12 noon by the Reverend Robert Thomas and Reverend Russell Blackmon. Burial will follow in the Cameron Grove Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jon McInnis Scholarship Fund of First Congregational Christian Church (UCC), P. O. Box 242, Sanford, NC 27331.

 Mr. Brown was born and raised in Virginia, the only child of the late Harry Lee Brown and the late Edith Dalton Brown. He graduated from high school in 1952 and attended Virginia Technical College on a football scholarship, where he played for his beloved Hokies. He is a graduate of Piedmont Bible College and from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Banking. He earned his Doctor of Divinity Degree from Covington Theological Seminary. Mr. Brown is also a veteran with the United States Army, where he taught in Intelligence School. After moving to Sanford in 1963, he served as the Vice President of the Carolina Bank until making a formal move into the ministry in 1971. He was the pastor of Swann Station Baptist Church in Sanford from 1971 until he retired in 1987. After retirement, he served as the Lee County Senior Services Transportation Coordinator from 1991 to 1997. He served as an Interim Pastor at Euphronia Presbyterian Church and pastored First Congregational Christian Church from 2003 to 2006. He was elected to the Lee County Board of Commissioners in 2004 and served as the Board Chairman from December 2006 to December 2007. He was appointed to fill an open seat as a City of Sanford Council Member in 2011. Mr. Brown was very civic minded and loved serving his community. Some of his activities and honors, past and present include: Elected member of the Sanford City School Board, Chairman of the United Fund, President and Vice President of The Jaycees, President of the Lee County Unit of The American Cancer Society, President of the Young Democratic Club, Member of the Democratic Executive Committee, Member of The Lions Club, Outstanding Personality of the South Recognition, Distinguished Service Award/1966 Outstanding Young Man in Lee County, Member of the Board of Directors Lee County Council on Aging, President and Treasurer of Benhaven Emergency Services, Chairman Harnett County Friends of the Library, Member of the Board of Directors Lee County Chapter American Red Cross, Member of Advisory Committee at Central Carolina Community College, Member of Board of Ministers Campbell University, “Appreciation Award” Lee County Fire Chiefs Association.

The family would like to say a special thank you to Liberty Hospice and Dr. Matthew Nielsen and team with UNC Memorial Hospital’s Urologic Oncology Department for their compassionate care during Mr. Brown’s illness.