Ralph Leland Brown's Obituary
Lifelong Alachua County resident Ralph Leland Brown passed away peacefully at his Orange Heights home on June 1, 2017. He was the ninth of eleven siblings born to John Henry and Myrtle Baldwin Brown on September 12, 1916. Ralph celebrated his 100th birthday last September as the last survivor of his generation. He was loved and respected by all who knew him, especially by those who called him Daddy, Dad, or Granddaddy. Ralph is survived by his sons, Dewayne (Sandra), Reggie (Lanita), and Roy (Kathey) Brown and his daughter Lola Brown Smith (Steve) as well as eight grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed by all.
Ralph Brown began farming 84 years ago to help his family through The Great Depression by growing and selling cabbages for a penny a piece. His entrepreneurial spirit also led him to try his hand at commercial trucking for a few years before realizing his true passion was for farming after all. After marrying the love of his life, Lola Mae Bryan, in 1940, he continued to farm as they raised their four children. They had been married seventy-three years at the time of her death in 2013. The family farm stand, known today as Brown's Farm, was started in 1959 first as a successful 4-H project launched by his sons. Ralph was known for his work ethic, perseverance, sense of humor, and kind heart. He managed to get through many a tough situation by seasoning it with humor. Every generation has enjoyed listening to his stories when he reminisced over the past century. Ralph was blessed with good health and a long life and could be seen as recently as last fall scooting around on his golf cart, keeping an eye on things around the farm as he once did from his tractor.
A Celebration of Ralph’s life will be held Monday, June 5, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel of WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME DOWNTOWN, 404 North Main Street, with Pastor Aaron Morgan officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow in Eliam Cemetery in Melrose. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the 4-H Foundation in memory of Ralph Brown at the following address: 4-H Foundation, Inc., University of Florida, PO Box 110225, Gainesville, FL 32611-0223.
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