Willie W. Brown

Bill Brown of Sarasota, Florida, passed away on March 19, 2010, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born January 29, 1941 in Williamston, North Carolina, to the late Lula Mae Brown and Roosevelt Scott. Bill is survived by his wife Francine Brown of 26 years, and his 3 children, Michael Brown, Bowie, MD., Robert Brown, Kennesaw GA. and Michole Brown of NYC. as well as his sister, Mary Alice Brown-Robinson of NYC. He also leaves behind 2 nieces , Carolyn Aird, Kimberly Turner, nephew, Anthony Brown, and 4 grandchildren, Tyler Brown, Austin Brown, Maia Brown and Simone Brown. As a young man, Bill moved to Ossining New York and spent 20 years there as a successful entrepreneur of Noller's Super Market, located in Briarcliff, New York. In 1982, after selling his business, Bill as asked to join Harcourt Brace, Jovanovich (HBJ) by William Jovanovich, Chairman & CEO, as Facility Manager in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to London, England to assist the leadership in revamping several of the London Based facilities. In l984 Bill was relocated back to the United States to assume the position of Director of Corporate Services in San Diego, California. Later that year, he was asked to lead Corporate Services at the company's headquarters in Orlando, Florida. Bill's entrepreneurial skills served him well at HBJ, as he continued to assume additional responsibities. Bill left HBJ in 1991 to assume the position of Corporate V.P. of Distribution at ScottsForesman in LaPorte, Indiana. Shortly thereafter, he joined Harper Collins Publishers, at the invitation of George Craig, Chairman, as Sr. V.P. of Corporate Fulfillment. Bill's corporate responsibilities engaged him in frequent travel throughout the US and Europe; and his continued success and highly respectable reputation in the field of Distribution and Customer Service brought him to the attention of Nader Darehshori, Chairman & CEO of Houghton Mifflin Publishers. Once again, Bill joined the executive ranks of another publisher and he ultimately retired from Houghton Mifflin in 2008. Bill relocated to Sarasota Florida in 2001, after enjoying highly successful careers as both an entrepreneur and Corporate Executive. During his retirement years, Bill became involved in the sports he so loved, Golf and horse racing ownership. He was also actively involved in various community organizations and traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe with his wife, enjoying many of the places he visited during his employment years. A Memorial Service officiated by the Rev. Jesse Anderson on Thursday, April 22nd at 12:30pm at the Girl Scouts Gulf Coast Council Headquarters, located at 4780 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, FL 34233. Friends are encouraged to visit the family's website at: http://www.beallfuneral.com to express condolences and memories. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Bill's memory to: The Randy Rankin Scholarship Fund, Asalh-Manasota Branch, P.O. Box 2356, Sarasota, FL. 34230 and/or The Lustgarten Foundation For Pancreatic Research, 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714.