John E Brown

View Funeral WebcastView Video Tribute John Edgar "J. E." Brown, 69, lifelong resident of Columbia and well-known local realtor and auctioneer passed away unexpectedly Saturday, May 16, 2015. A celebration of his life will be held at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home Wednesday, May 20 at 3:00 P.M. with The Reverend Thomas S. Wilson officiating. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will meet with friends on Tuesday, May 19 from 4:00 - 8:00 P.M. and Wednesday prior to the service. The family suggests memorials to Maury County Needy Veterans, 308 West Seventh Street, Columbia, TN 38401. Condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com. John was born October 14, 1945 in Indian Mound, Tennessee and was the son of Edgar Lee Brown and Eula Jewel Harrison Brown. He was a 1963 graduate of Central High School and later earned an associate degree in accounting at CSCC. John had always prided himself with having excellent work ethics since his boyhood days of selling newspapers on the downtown streets of Columbia as well as having had a regular customer route. He helped his Dad earn a living from making donuts to running a service station. He entered into the United States Navy at the young age of 17 training in Great Lakes, IL. John's tour of duty with the USN lasted three years. During those years he was with the U.S. Naval Communication Station in Washington, D.C. He was stationed in Reykjavik, Iceland, went through survival training in Coronado, CA and had served with his unit during the Vietnam Conflict patrolling areas of Cam Ranh Bay. He received an honorable discharge with the rank of Petty Officer Third Class. Upon leaving the military, he returned home to Columbia and worked at his Dad's gas station, textile factory until becoming employed once again with the Federal Government, the United States Postal Service. John retired from the USPS after 34 years of dedicated service. During this time he purchased a farm where he and his family learned agriculture and raised cattle along with other livestock. After farming he became interested in purchasing, improving, and selling land. This led to his interest in becoming a realtor, earning his license in real estate in 1999 and his auctioneer license in 2005, thus finding his true passion in life. His self-proclaimed title was "The Land Man". He was generous in sharing his profits, willing to help others and willing to go that extra mile to make the deal work in order to make someone happy whether it was in purchasing a home or land. He and his auction crew did several benefits for people they loved as well as strangers in need. John was an active member of the American Legion Post 19, presently serving as Commander. He loved his country, was proud to have served in the military, and was proud to have worked with the postal service. He enjoyed country music and rock and roll, especially the oldies all of which he sang out of tune exaggerating the "twang". John was a true gentleman, kind, polite and aware of other's feelings. He was compassionate and had a genuine feeling of warmth towards others. He was tolerant to a fault because of his nature to be empathetic. John loved his family unconditionally. He was their "rock". He will be sorely missed by his family, his many friends, co-workers, fellow legion members and those in the community. John is survived by his wife, Thayne Lalor Brown, his son Travis Brown and daughter Tracy (Matt) Foster, Alice (Roy) Brinley, the mother of his children, his step sons Frederick (Tara) Roth, Steven Roth, and step daughter Mary (David) Pursley. John never referred to his step children as "step". He considered them as his sons and daughter and treated them as such. John is further survived by his mother-in-law Elida "Susie" Lalor, his much loved grandsons, Justin Brown, Benjamin and Nathaniel Foster, Jacob and Joshua Roth, and Beckett Pursley, sisters Ella Mae (Charles) Sanders, and Sharon Truelove, brothers-in-law David (Lura) Lalor, Dean Lalor, and Linus (Julie) Lalor, Lenny Werla, sisters-in-law Mattie (Jerry) King, Patricia Lalor and Nancy Lalor, as well as several nieces and nephews and cousins. John was preceded in death by his parents, loving sister Elizabeth Vantrease, brothers-in-law Ronnie Turner and Clayton Lalor, and sister-in-law Katherine Werla. Pallbearers will be Eric Hill, Freddie Morton, Doug Lee, Hal Holcomb, Eddie Ables, and Jimmy Dugger. Honorary pallbearers will be John's Crye-Leike Family.