LeRoy "Lee" Brown, 78, of Orange went home to be with the Lord Friday, March 9, 2012 in Beaumont.
Mr. Brown was born June 21, 1933, in Trenton, N.J. to LeRoy Phillips and Rose Magyar Brown. He served honorably in the United States Navy, attended the University of Houston, and 50 years ago in 1962 he founded Brown Hearing Centers which continues to serve the hearing impaired community throughout Texas and Louisiana. An ordained minister of the Gospel, Mr. Brown was a faithful and active member of Community Church and was instrumental in helping establish several different ministries and organizations.
He founded Wisdom Bible Institute, was a member of Fellowship of Companies for Christ, World Ministry Fellowship and founding board member of Orange County Committee on Aging. In 2007, he was named the Orange County Senior Citizen of the Year. He will be remembered for many things including his ability to show others the love that God has for them. Lee was a very generous man who had the heart of a selfless giver and was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, fisherman, and fisher of men.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Roger Brown.
He is survived by his loving wife, Dorothy Wickham Brown of Orange; daughter, Belinda Escobedo and husband, Cesar of Edinburg; daughter, Brenda Brown of Pharr; daughter, Karlene Toohey and husband, Eddie of Orange; daughter, Kimi Cohenour and husband, Jimmy of Palacios; daughter, Kelly Ann Scarborough and husband, Randy of Orange; daughter, Kristi Lee Herlacher and husband, Rick of Denton and son, David Brown and wife, Sharon of Austin. Lee is also survived by twenty-four grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends who will miss him dearly.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 13, 2012, at Community Church in Orange. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Monday, March 12, 2012 at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Community Church, Missions Department, 3400 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Orange, TX 77632.
The family would like to thank the many friends, caregivers, and loved ones who have extended their loving support and prayers.