John (Jack) Brown

John (Jack) Brown, a caring and devoted son, brother, husband, father, uncle, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend to many, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 15, 2025, in Concord, Ohio at the age of 94. A life very well lived, indeed! Jack was born on October 1, 1930, to James Hall and Barbara Cameron Mackey (Shannon) Brown at an East Cleveland hospital that nobody can recall and was long ago demolished. He was a devoted albeit mischievous son and the older brother to his sweet sister Barbara. Jack’s father passed away in 1944 due to leukemia, a devastating blow to the family, emotionally as well as financially. At age 14, Jack became the man of the house and devoted himself and his part-time and eventual full-time earnings to his mother and sister. Jack attended Collinwood High and spent his free time running around the East Cleveland neighborhoods and golf courses with his equally roguish pals, cementing countless friendships that would last their entire lifetimes. He graduated from Collinwood in 1948 with a focus on math and mechanical drawing. These talents helped him jump into the workforce as a draftsman, marking the beginning of an over 50-year engineering career with several companies where he largely focused on piping system layouts, components and specifications for oil refineries and chemical plants around the world. Jack was a charming, happy, outgoing man who always seemed to be the biggest personality in the room, despite his 5’10” stature. He was someone that everyone wanted as a close friend, and he had far more than most. He was a better-than-capable piano player, singer and dancer, with advanced studies in rambunctious polka appreciation and barbershop chorus participation, talents that only seemed to improve when beer was introduced into the equation. He joyfully utilized these talents and more to entertain countless folks at parties, weddings, barbershop chorus events and family gatherings, always leaving those in attendance far happier than when they arrived. His sense of humor was renowned, as was his ability to perfectly deliver a joke or funny story for maximum laughs. If he could get Carol to laugh until she cried, his day was made, something that occurred nearly continuously over their nearly 65-year relationship. Jack met his one and only, Carol, in 1960, and they were married in 1962, embarking on one of the great love stories of all time, despite his healthy golf, bowling and poker schedule with his friends. They were blessed with three spectacularly handsome, though marginally intelligent sons. The family lived in the east half of a duplex on 216th and Lake Shore in Euclid, with Jack’s Mum and, for the first 10 years, his sister residing on the west side. Jack was a spectacular father. He left the structure, emotional support and occasional discipline to Carol while he preferred to concentrate more on the fun, teaching his sons to play all sports, encouraging (bribing) them with Helen Hutchley’s milkshakes for A’s on the report card and accompanying each of them through years of various clubs and social organizations for boys. He made weekend morning trips to various donut shops across the Midwest just to earn himself sticky hugs from his happy grandkids (and yes, he always made sure to grab himself 1 or 2 chocolate donuts as well). Where Carol would dispense cough syrup to the boys with strict teaspoon measurements, Jack’s instructions were to “just take a swig.” Where Carol would carefully clean, dress and kiss their numerous cuts and scrapes, Jack would tell them to “go grab yourself a napkin.” He supported all their individual goals and dreams but beyond all this, he gave his boys the ultimate gift by being a role model, day in and day out throughout their lives, in showing them what it meant to be a man whose actions consistently honored his home, community, work, friends, family and most importantly, his wife. While Jack likely had a strong personal faith in Christ, he believed it best to express his devotion on Sundays by celebrating God’s most beautiful landscapes, sky and sun by faithfully maintaining a perpetual 7:50 am tee-time at Blackbrook Golf Club where in his prime he gloriously maintained a near scratch handicap and was well known as the long drive king. While he may have bent some social rules on occasion (his belching was legendary) he never did so on the golf course and was a stickler about maintaining etiquette and counting every stroke on his way to winning several club and various league championships. Even over the winter, he felt it best to continue his “alternative devotion” by praising God for coffee at home with the Sunday Plain Dealer. He would soften Carol’s occasional irritation at his lack of church attendance by having the bacon and sausage cooked for brunch by the time she and the boys got home, although the kitchen was usually a wreck. Easter was typically the only date on his calendar where an actual church visit was penciled in… in Carol’s handwriting. Thankfully Carol’s strong relationship with God and her devotion to the Church and its important lessons, helped the 3 boys appreciate their faith, along with the delights of golf – what a wonderful balance! Jack would often deliver the prayer at family dinners and the love, thanks and emotion he expressed made it clear to everyone gathered how much he appreciated his many blessings, Carol and his family above all. Clearly, Carol’s efforts and patience over the years really had paid off. Jack is survived by his loving and most amazing wife of 62 years, Carol; his wonderful sister Barbara Shramo (Richard) of Upper Arlington OH; his sons Jim (Lora) of New Albany, OH, Bill (Lauren) of Crown Point, IN and Bobby (Lisa) of Shaker Heights, OH; his delightful grandkids Nicci (Kurt) Wermers, Billy (Tori) Brown, Sydney, Grace and Jack Brown, Lily and Lindsey Brown, and great-grandsons Macklin and Finnigan Wermers and numerous nieces and nephews. Jack was preceded in death by his parents, James and Barbara; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, William and Millie Miller; his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Barbara and Ted Nisbett; his niece Julie Myers and virtually all his many close pals. In the final few months of his life, Jack was compassionately cared for by the staff of Concord Ridge Health and Rehabilitation, Concord, Ohio; Carol and the Brown family are most grateful for the kindness extended to Jack, despite his best attempts to circumvent several of the rules, during his stay there. Jack’s family will receive friends from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Friday, March 14, 2025 at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. A Celebration of Life ceremony for Jack will follow at noon at the funeral home. A private urn burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery, Twinsburg, OH. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Bella Care Hospice (Akron/Cleveland Region), 5000 Rockside Road, Suite 150, Independence, OH 44131 or to Mentor United Methodist Church, General Giving Fund online at https://www.mentorumc.org/onlinegiving Offer condolences at www.brunners.com.

John (Jack) Brown

October 1, 1930 - February 15, 2025