(August 20, 1925 – October 19, 2014)
Raymond Brown, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed from this earthly existence into the loving arms of many family members on the morning of Sunday, October 19, 2014. He was born on August 20, 1925, in Standardville, Utah, to Raymond and Leontine Gourdin Brown. Early in his life, his family moved to Salt Lake City.
He graduated from South High School, enlisted into the army in December of 1943, and served honorably in World War II until December of 1945. He was a member of the 106th Infantry Division, also known as the Golden Lion Division, serving in the A Battery, 590 Field Artillery Battalion. His prime duty was to pull a howitzer with a 2.5 ton 6X6 truck. His battalion was capture by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. He spent almost four months as a prisoner of war in Stalag IX-B (Bad Orb) before being liberated by the Allies on April 2, 1945.
After coming home, he married his high school sweetheart, Lucile Wollaston in June of 1948. They lived in Salt Lake City and had four children—Susan, Dennis, Karen, and Julie. Lucile unexpectedly passed away in January of 1961. Ray married Elizabeth Anne Martin in February 1963. They had two children—Elizabeth (Liz), and Emily. In 1970, they moved their family down to Southern Utah; finally, settling in Leeds, Utah. They lived there until the Spring of 2012; at which time, they moved closer to family in St. George.
Recently, in the Spring of 2014, Ray moved into the William E. Christoffersen SLC Veterans Home, and Elizabeth also moved to Salt Lake City to live with their daughter, Liz. Ray enjoyed many activities at the Veterans home. His family wishes to thank all those who took good care of him there. We will always be grateful to all those who made the last months of our father’s life safe and comfortable.
Ray loved many things. He loved being outdoors and riding motorcycles and horses. He enjoyed going on long walks looking for rocks or arrowheads to add to his collection. He loved going to art museums and went to many St. George Art Festivals with his daughters. He surrounded himself with family, friends, and animals. He loved dogs. One of his favorite pastime was riding his bike with a dog running beside him. When asked what our dad did for a living, we usually answered “He was a jack of all trades”. He did a bit of everything from construction to sales. He loved talking with people and could sell anything to anyone. He enjoyed spending time getting to know people and helping them out if he could. He especially loved to help out his family. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He loved hunting and fishing. All hunting seasons were times to go out and spend it with family; and if lucky, bring back meat to share with whoever needed it. He hunted deer, elk, antelope, pheasants, quail, and even bears in Alaska. Spending time in Alaska was another activity he especially enjoyed. Fishing for salmon and halibut and enjoying the majestic views and endless days would bring him great happiness in his retirement years. He felt very blessed to live in America and enjoyed the freedoms he helped protect. Serving within the DAV (Disable American Veterans) was a great cause he supported. He went to many reunions to share memories and time with his fellow soldiers/survivors.
Ray is survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Betty Anne); children, Susan (Scott) Taysom, Karen (Danny) Clay, Julie (Lee) Goodrich, Liz (Derrin) Gardiner, Emily (Trevor) Gladwin; and daughter-in-law, Vickie Brown. He has 25 grandchildren and almost 50 great-grandchildren. He’s preceded in death by his parents; older sister, Betty; wife, Lucile; and son, Dennis.
Funeral Services
- A family funeral service was held on Oct. 24.
- He was then buried in a family plot at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, telephone 435-673-4221. For condolences, full obituary, and funeral listings please visit the Metcalf Mortuary website.