George L. Brown

Boca Raton, Fla. – A celebration of life for George L. Brown, 79, Boca Raton, was Friday, April 7, at Spanish River Church in Boca Raton.Mr. Brown died Friday, March 31, 2006, at his home.He was born July 1, 1926, in Lawrence, Kan., the son of George L. Sr. and Alberta Watson Brown. He graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in Lawrence. He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kansas University and completed Harvard Business School’s advanced management program in 1980.Mr. Brown served as a Tuskegee Airman during World War II. He worked as a writer and was the first African-American editor for the Denver Post. He served as director of the Denver Housing Authority and was an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado and the University of Denver. He served in the Colorado House of Representatives and as the first African-American in the Colorado Senate, where he served five consecutive terms. He became lieutenant governor of Colorado in 1974.Mr. Brown joined the Grumman Corp. as vice president for marketing and later as senior vice president in charge of worldwide regional offices. He worked as chief lobbyist for Grumman in Washington, D.C., until he retired in 1990. He continued to serve as a consultant and adviser for various organizations and remained active on various boards. He received many awards and honors for his achievements. He was a member of Ninth Street Baptist Church in Lawrence.Survivors include his wife, Modeen Brown, of the home; four daughters, Gail Chandler, Ontario, Calif., Cindy Brown, Denver, Kim Brown, Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Laura Mitchell, Milwaukee; four stepdaughters, Angela Ashley and Sharolyn Williams, both of Port Charlotte, Fla., Carolyn Smith, Bradenton, Fla., and Nyra Crenshaw, Los Angeles; a stepson, Ronald Crenshaw, Bakersfield, Calif.; two sisters, Harriet M. Baskerville, Lawrence, and Laura E. Gilyard, Denver; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.