Born in 1933 in Fayette County, Ga., Dean Brown passed away Tuesday, January 19th, 2016 in Fayetteville, Ga.
Beloved father and grandfather, he is preceded in death by his parents, Merle Brown and Helen Greer Brown of Fayetteville.
Dean is survived by his spouse of sixty years, Joan Jackson Brown, and two sons, David, and his wife, Emily, of Austin, Texas and Alan and his wife Cindy of Atlanta, Ga. as well as three grandchildren: Aaron, Atticus and Magnolia.
Dean was a charter member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Fayetteville, Ga., where he served as first reader, Sunday school teacher, Sunday school superintendent, and chairman of the board of directors.
Dean received his 2nd Lieutenant commission in the U.S. Army after graduating with a B.S. (mathematics) from North Georgia College. He began a long career in education in 1956, first serving as a teacher of math and science at Fayette County High School, and, soon after, accepting a post as principal at Arlington School (now Arlington Christian School) in Ben Hill. In the mid-1960’s, Dean returned to the Fayette County School System: first as principal of Fayetteville Elementary School, then as Principal of Hood Avenue Primary and Elementary Schools, and was appointed as assistant superintendent of Fayette County Schools, where he served the people of the county until retirement in 1996. During that time, Dean earned his masters’ (MA) and doctoral degrees (EdD) from the University of Georgia at Athens. An early adopter of desktop computing, Dr. Brown led a modernization and overhaul of the county-wide student transportation infrastructure, introducing computer-based management systems. Named to the Fayette County High School Hall of Fame, Dr. Brown remained active as an educator in retirement, teaching mathematics and computing sciences for Gordon College, and tutoring students privately, as well.
Dr. Brown was passionate about the history of his native Fayette County and its characters, especially those from the days of his own youth. Merging his interest in computers and storytelling, he launched a popular website, “Little Stories” (www.popspin.com) to document tales of small-town Georgia life. The website remains active to this day. The site has been featured in news articles, and has been viewed by visitors from around the world. Its pages perpetuate the stories and lives of the people of “Old Fayette” into the 21st century.
The family is quietly celebrating his life and many joys; no public service is scheduled at this time.
