William Sidney Brown

William Sidney Brown, a scholar and a gentleman, died Jan. 17, 2010, in Salt Lake City of complications from a lung infection.

He was born Dec. 30, 1923, to Albert Sidney and Evelyn Melville Brown.

He was educated in Salt Lake City schools and had fond memories of his years at Longfellow, Bryant and East High School.

Bill came of age during World War II and like many of his friends, attended the University of Utah for a year before entering the service. He joined Beta Theta Pi fraternity, an affiliation he enjoyed all his life.

He joined the Army Air Force in 1944, received his training in B-24 bombers and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. He was ultimately stationed in Northern England at a base where he flew bombing missions over Germany.

Following the war, he returned to the U, graduating in 1947 with a B.S. degree in political science. He met and married Beverly McCune of Ogden. They became the parents of a daughter Kathy and a son Kelly William.

In 1962, Bill moved his young family to the Bay Area and launched a career in the insurance industry that would span thirty-five years. He began as the San Francisco Division Claims Manager for Industrial Indemnity and retired as Senior Vice President of Industrial Underwriters, Inc. after a distinguished career.

Bill loved golf, history, politics, Democrats and the San Francisco Forty-Niners. His heroes were his father, FDR, Churchill and his father-in-law, Joe McCune.

He was preceded in death by his wife Beverly and his son Kelly.

He is survived by his beloved daughter Kathy Wach (Dan) and grandsons Kelly and Casey Nichols.

He is also survived by his second family: wife Pat Capson Brown and her children: Patrice, Libby and Erik Henriksen; Todd Capson and son Gabriel Capson Tojo and Jennifer McManus (Jerry) and sons Aidan and Brennan.

Many nieces and nephews and their progeny will miss Uncle Bill, the patriarch of the Brown clan.

A memorial service will be held at the First Unitarian Church, 569 South 1300 East Sat., Jan. 23 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the First Unitarian Church Endowment Fund or to the charity of your choice.

Online condolences can be sent to Bill's family at: www.holbrookmortuary.com