Obituary of Colonel Lawrence E. Brown

BRUNSWICK—Lt. Col. Lawrence E. Brown, U.S. Air Force (Retired), 90, died peacefully on Jan. 8, 2013 at Hill House Assisted Living in Bath, ME. Family members were at his side. Larry was born on Jan. 10, 1923 in San Pedro, CA to parents Nellie Finette Huntington and Robert E. Brown. He grew up in Southern California with his brother Robert and sister Olive (“Brownie”). Larry enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 and was subsequently selected for the Army Air Corps. At the end of the World War II he served in the Army Reserves while attending the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Military Science and Economics. He became a career officer in the new United States Air Force in 1947, receiving a commission as 2nd Lieutenant after graduation from pilot school. His flight training and experience included a broad spectrum of propeller and jet aircraft ranging from the PT-19 basic trainer through the B-52 bomber. Responsibilities later in his career included crew command on B-52s for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After 25 years of military service, Larry retired from the Air Force in 1967 at the rank of Lt. Colonel. He then enrolled at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he earned a Masters in Guidance and Counselingand was inducted into the Phi Delta Kappa honor society. He then worked as an instructor and project manager for the Massachusetts Dept. of Mental Health. In 1980 he was appointed Professor of Aeronautical Science and Chief of Flight Operations at Hawthorne College in Antrim, New Hampshire. Following retirement from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1989, he was occasionally employed as a flight instructor in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Children from Larry’s first marriage are Kathleen D. Brown of Chicopee, MA, Karen E. Wilson of Encinitas, CA and George R. Brown of Albuquerque, N.M. He married Catherine Reegan Seminatore of Chelmsford, MA in 1978. His stepchildren are Catherine C. Seminatore of Brunswick, Linda J. Seminatore of Nashua, NH, and Gerald W. Seminatore of Los Angeles, CA. Larry was an active and caring figure in the lives of both his children and stepchildren. He also had one grandchild, Jordan D. Wilson of Encinitas, and one step-grandchild, Nicholas J. Seminatore of Nashua. Larry is predeceased by both his sister Brownie and his brother Bob. Larry and Catherine were married for 35 years. Following her retirement in 1993, the couple traveled to many Elderhostel destinations in the United States, and toured several European countries, often accompanied by sister Brownie. Larry enjoyed life and work outdoors; a highlight of those travels was volunteer work at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. In 2002 Larry and Catherine moved from Massachusetts to Thornton Oaks Retirement Community in Brunswick. The onset of symptoms of Lewy Body dementia necessitated a move in 2008 to Hill House Assisted Living in Bath. Larry spent the final years of his life at Hill House, where he was appreciated for his sense of humor and lovingly cared for by the staff. Larry was frugal but never stingy, sometimes reserved but never shy. He appreciated views of mountain peaks, rock and roll music, and simple meals. He knew every sort of cloud and understood the weather as well as any meteorologist. A tradition for Larry was to offer a toast at every shared meal, in every setting, be it a formal occasion or in a fast food restaurant, whether with a wine glass or a plastic cup in hand. “Cheers!” Cremation took place at the Riposta Funeral Home in Belfast, and ashes will be interred at a later date at Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford, MA. Donation in Larry’s memory may be made online or via postal mail to the Lewy Body Dementia Association at 912 Killian Hill Road SW, Lilburn, GA 30047 (www.lbda.org).