OBIT: Willie Brown

Former Red Boiling Springs Mayor, Mr. Willie Brown, died Friday morning, July 17, 2020, at the Smith County Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage where he had been a resident since July 2nd. He was pronounced deceased at the Riverview Regional Medical Center in Carthage by Dr. Rutherford at  5:17 a.m. at the age of 86.

Funeral services from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home were conducted by Bro. Tim Blackburn. Following the 1 p.m. funeral services, burial was beside his wife in the Garden of Gethsemane at Smith County Memorial Gardens.

Born Willie Lee Brown, the second of eight children in the Martins Creek community of Jackson County, he was the son of the late Harrison Lee “Bud” Brown, who died at the age of 98 in 1955, and Emma Sue Christian Brown Whitehead, who died at the age of 89 on November 21, 2002.

Mr. Brown was preceded in death by a sister, Betty E. Brown Frye, who died August 9, 1997 at the age of 57, and Frank Delano Brown, who died February 5, 2006 at the age of 69.

In Hilo, Hawaii on January 4, 1956, he was united in marriage to Kailua Kona, Hawaii native, the former Eppefania Fana “Faye” Santana, whom he met while in military service in the Navy. She preceded him in death on June 1, 2011 at the age of 73.

They were preceded in death by a daughter, Peggy Brown, who died at the age of 12 and was buried in the National Cemetery of the Pacific on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Mr. Brown honorably served our country with the United States Navy stationed in Hawaii and served four tours of duty during the Korean and Vietnam Wars where he was a member of the Sea Bees Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corps. He was honorably discharged with twenty years of service with the rank of Seaman First Class on the 4th day of July 1972 at the Naval Air Station in Adak, Alaska.

Mr. Brown was first elected to the position of vice mayor of Red Boiling Springs and later was elected mayor.

He was a non-denominational Christian.

After retiring from the Navy, he was a longtime employee of the former McKee’s Service Station at I-40 in Gordonsville.

Surviving are his six children, Willie Brown Jr. of Gallatin, Bruce Brown and wife, Teresa, of Cookeville, Jeanie Tucker and husband, Robbie, of Lebanon, Scott Brown and wife, Teresa, of the Bradford Hill community, Tammy Phillips and husband, Danny, of Monterey, Amanda Gail Brown of Red Boiling Springs; twenty grandchildren; thirty four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

SANDERSON of CARTHAGE