Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories

Obituary: James A. Brown

Fri, Apr 7th 2017 03:30 pm

James A. Brown 92, a long-time resident of Grand Island, died peacefully on April 4th. He was the husband of Gloria Risden Brown, father of Daniel (Wendy), Paul (Cindy) Brown, Carolyn Starr and Sandra (Timothy) Boebel. He is survived by nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Jim grew up in the Bailey-Kensington area of Buffalo, graduated from Kensington High School and served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946, in France and Germany in WWII. He later attended the University of Buffalo majoring in accounting and was employed by National Gypsum and Marine Midland Bank in Buffalo.

He, his wife Gloria and family moved to Grand Island in June 1970 as Gloria was employed at Charlotte Sidway Elementary School as a first grade teacher.

Jim was a life-long boxing historian and memorabilia collector, and served for many years on the board of WNY Boxing Association, Ring 44 and taught boxing at the Delaware YMCA.

A fitness enthusiast from an early age, Jim was an avid runner, once capturing top honors in a Buffalo city-wide track meet of eighth-grade students. In the early 1970s he founded the Buffalo Belles Track Club, the first all-female track club in Western New York. A track and field coach with the Western New York Track and Field Officials Association, he helped run and coach AAU-sponsored events. Along with his wife and son, Dan, Jim was a long-standing member of the Nickel City Road Runners. In the 1980s, he competed and placed in his age division in running, race walking and hurtles at the Empire State Games, and World University Games.

Jim attended Trinity United Methodist Church and for many years was their bookkeeper and accountant.

The family will receive visitors at Kaiser Funeral Home, 1950 Whitehaven Road, on Friday, April 7, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 8, at 11 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church.

 

James A. Brown

Hometown News

View All News