Wednesday, February 10, 2010
A FAREWELL TO ARTHUR L. BROWN, JR.
Sunrise: May 31, 1947 Sunset: February 10, 2010
It is difficult expressing words of farewell for Arthur L. Brown, Jr. The news print published just a capsule of the man he was. Yet those bare essentials provide the groundwork to glimpse better into the man we all knew and loved.
Arthur L. Brown, Jr. was a native New Jerseyan, born and raised in Essex County. In his youthful years he walked and played on the streets of Orange and beyond. A talented athlete, Arthur played football and baseball with an understated grace and determination that were uniquely his. Known as “Artie†or “Art†to many, Arthur always worked with a goal in mind. So perhaps it was with no surprise but much pride that Arthur’s mother and father watched him matriculate to, and graduate from, the once premiere small private school of higher education known as Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey.
Arthur Brown joined Orange Savings Bank in 1968, one year after the Newark Riots and the same year this nation was seemingly inflamed by the escalating war in Vietnam and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. The 1960s were a difficult time for a young black male coming of age. There was much to distract, much to disturb, and much to dissuade those who were perhaps less focused, perhaps less sure. Joining a financial institution and adorning the businessman’s suit and manner was not necessarily the popular path to follow. Yet that was the career Arthur chose, no doubt with his signature determination and pride, and the belief that he could and would both forge ahead and make a difference along the way.
And Arthur Brown accomplished those goals and more. He continued with the bank, through mergers and consolidations, in branches near and far. Orange Savings Bank became Hudson Savings Bank, and last July 2009 Arthur Brown’s fellow colleagues, friends, community leaders, and beloved family helped him celebrate his stellar 42 year career as a Hudson Savings Bank employee, senior manager, and Vice-President. It was perhaps the greatest tribute Arthur could have had; and many thanks are owed to the hundreds of Arthur’s Hudson Bank co-workers who never hesitated to bring honor to their distinguished and devoted colleague.
Of course, these professional accomplishments reveal only a portion of the man. We are all familiar with the coined phrase: “Actions speak louder than words.†Arthur Brown lived those words, and the communities that nurtured him were the recipients of his quiet grace and selflessness. He was a proud Omega Psi Phi Fraternity member. He served at times on the Rotary Club, the Y.M.C.A., the Library Board, and various banking and business associations. He was a Boy Scout leader and a friend and supporter to law enforcement. Arthur was a member of the Isiah House in East Orange and the Orange Elks. In short, he never lost sight of the neighborhood that birthed him, and all the men, women and countless children who needed him most.
And above all, Arthur Brown was a devoted son and brother, husband and father. He embraced 30 years of marriage to Isabel Garcia Brown in a wonderfully cross-cultural family. He was an active, attentive father to his son Michael and his stepchildren Grace and Aaron. At his Maplewood home, Arthur was the master gourmet barbecue chef at dozens of family gatherings. He traveled to Peru, Alaska and Florida to share laughter and love with his extended family and friends. He spoke with much joy and pride of the graduations and accomplishments of his niece Erin, of Grace, Aaron and Michael. And for me personally, he was the very best neighbor, friend and surrogate father overseeing the maturation of my own two sons.
Who, then, was Arthur L. Brown, Jr.? He was a gentle man with a pure soul and a thunderous heart. A man of wisdom, determination, and quiet passion. A man we will always remember and always love.
Paula T. Dow
2-15-10
