Roger Brown

Roger Brown, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle and friend, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2025, at the age of 88.

Roger was born on March 5, 1936, in Columbus, Ohio to Orville W. Brown and Lucy T. Brown (Norris). He grew up in Columbus and graduated from North High School in 1954. Roger went on to attend The Ohio State University where he earned a degree in Accounting.

Roger had a long and successful career in Accounting and Finance. He began his career at Firestone and moved on to Fiberfil, a plastics company owned by Dart Industries. Roger continued his tenure at Dart Industries and its various iterations (Dart & Kraft, Premark, International), holding leadership roles in Accounting and Finance at the corporate and business unit levels. Prior to his retirement, Roger served as Vice President, Finance, at Ralph Wilson Plastics (Wilsonart) in Temple, TX. Roger was known for his dedication to his work and his ability to build strong relationships with his colleagues and staff.

Roger married the love of his life, Jan, in 1958, after a courtship of three years. They had three children, Hugh, Leanne and Doug. Roger was a proud father, grandfather and great grandfather.

After his retirement, Roger and Jan lived in Prescott, AZ, Durango, CO, Bradenton, FL, and Longboat Key, FL, and were active members of their communities. Roger served on the board of The Highlands Center for Natural History and was a volunteer at various non-profit organizations. Roger was passionate about giving back to his community and making a difference in the lives of others. Throughout his adulthood, he was active at church, most recently at Christ Church of Longboat Key, and in The Ohio State University alumni association.

Roger will be remembered for his kindness, generosity and dry sense of humor. Always active, he enjoyed skiing and was an avid senior softball, tennis and pickleball player. A gardener at heart, there was never a landscaping or yard project too big or complicated for him and Jan to tackle. In his final years, Roger relished the simple pleasures of living on the Gulf of Mexico, where he would take in nearly every sunset and make daily rounds on his beloved seawall. He was touched by the kindness of staff and patrons alike at his regular spots: Harry’s Deli, The Turtle Cafe and Tyler’s Ice Cream. A Buckeye through and through, Roger loved The Ohio State University marching band and enjoyed supporting his alma mater at every opportunity - a fact lost on no one, especially his Michigander friends and neighbors.

Roger is survived by his children, Hugh, Leanne and Doug; his grandchildren, Landon, Kyrsten, Krisha and Blake; his great grandson, Cameron; and his granddog Rosie.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Orville and Lucy; his sisters, Pat and Barbara; and his beloved wife of fifty-six years, Jan.

A private celebration of life will be held for family and local friends on February 22, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that Roger’s memory be honored by enjoying a cup of coffee, a chocolate milkshake, a walk or a sunset with a friend, loved one or even a stranger.