Dr. James Arthur "Jimmy" Brown
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Dr. James Arthur "Jimmy" Brown, of Beaufort, SC, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2021, after a decade long fight with Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Brown was born at McLeod's Hospital in Florence, South Carolina on June 20, 1942, to the late Thelma Lee Brown and Arthur Kolah Brown. He grew up in Lake City and was baptized in the Lake City Baptist Church. After graduating from Lake City High School in 1960, Dr. Brown attended Wofford College. At Wofford, he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and remained close with his Wofford and Pika friends for his entire life.
Dr. Brown continued his education for the next two decades. He graduated from Georgia State University with a Masters in Education (M. Ed.) and later from the University of South Carolina with an Educational Specialist degree (Ed S.) and an Educational Doctorate (Ed D.). He also studied at Harvard University as part of a select group of educators from across the country. His writings on the subject of public education were published by the University of South Carolina press.
Dr. Brown devoted his life to public education. He taught science in Savannah at Mercer Middle School. He moved to Atlanta and taught biology in the Dekalb County school district. He returned to South Carolina with his wife Patsy in 1970 taking the principal position at Shaw Heights Elementary School. He remained there for 13 years until he became principal at Manchester Elementary and Middle School. Dr. Brown served in various other positions at Sumter School District 2 including personnel director and district curriculum director. He retired in 2006 with more than 40 years in public education.
Dr. Brown also served as an adjunct professor for the Citadel, an adjunct professor at Morris College, an educator at the Sumter County Detention Center, and a night administrator at Sumter Technical College.
Dr. Brown was active in the Kiwanis Club of Sumter, serving as its president in 1992-1993. He maintained perfect attendance with Kiwanis at their weekly meetings for 25 years. As part of his service with Kiwanis, he regularly volunteered with Habitat for Humanity.
Jimmy loved antiquing and visited every antique store on the East Coast. As the Patron Saint of Three-Legged Chairs, he was observant and kind enough to figure out that things other people threw in the trash may have use, bringing value and joy to others....with a little work. He enjoyed that work. He was thoughtful, funny and kind.
Dr. Brown was a member of the Lake City Baptist Church, the First Baptist Church of Sumter, and the Beaufort Baptist Church. He taught children's Sunday School with his wife for more than 20 years. He enjoyed singing in the choir.
Dr. Brown is survived by his wife of 53 years, Patricia Laura McCutcheon Brown, and two sons, James Arthur "Jim" Brown (Shannon) of Beaufort, South Carolina, and Robert Newell Brown, IV, of Athens, Georgia. He has three grandsons, Louis Hamilton Brown of Orlando, FL, Arthur Bradley Brown, of Charleston, SC, and Brooks Lee Brown, of Columbia, SC. Also surviving him are his brother, Arnold Kolah Brown (Nancy) of Savannah, GA, his sisters Betty Lee DeWitt, of Savannah, GA, and Bernice Melanie Bascom (Bill), of Kirkwood, MO, his sisters in law, Betty McCutcheon Whitehead, of Pawley's Island, and Janice McCutcheon Guy (James), of Scranton, SC. He also loved his many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and nephews, and many cousins in the Pee Dee and throughout the country.
A memorial service will be held at the Baptist Church of Beaufort on Friday, August 27, 2021 at 3:00 pm. A funeral service will be held at the Lake City Baptist Church on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 2:00 pm followed by burial at the Hebron Baptist Church in Scranton, South Carolina.
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