Elbert Lawrence (Larry) Brown

Elbert Lawrence (Larry) Brown passed away at his home in Santa Barbara on May 29, 2024, at the age of 95.

Larry was born on January 19, 1929 in Irvington, New Jersey to Arthur and Virginia Brown. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the Navy and served honorably. Originally, he enlisted for three years but was held over for an extra year due to the outbreak of the Korean War. He often referred to this as the luckiest break of his life. It was during this year, on leave in Boston, that he met the love of his life, Mary Mehigan and married her as soon as his service ended. They remained devoted to each other for nearly 65 years until she passed away in 2016.

They had four children while living in New Jersey and then in 1957, moved to Phoenix, Arizona where two more children were born. Larry worked as a buyer for Motorola until 1970 and then moved to Santa Barbara to work as a subcontracts manager for Raytheon.

Larry was an avid sports fan. He taught and coached his children through various sports (softball, baseball, basketball, tennis, running). He became a marathon runner in his forties, completing seven marathons including qualifying for the Boston marathon twice. He was also a passionate fan of the Dodgers dating back to their days in Brooklyn and fondly told stories of sneaking into Ebbets Field as a kid. Just as passionately, he was an Arizona State University fan where he graduated in 1962.

He and Mary travelled the country and the world, making the most of his retirement. Larry was a devoted grandfather to his young grandchildren, never turning down a chance to spend time with them. He was a man of deep faith, serving at St. Raphael’s parish for as long as he was able.

Larry is survived by his children Patricia (Brown) Lockwood, David Brown and his wife Teri, Kenneth Brown and his partner Stephanie Hall, Gary Brown and his wife Kathy, and daughter- in-law Lori Brown. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary, son Kevin Brown, and daughter Virginia Brown. Eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren also survive him.

Larry was known for his devotion to his family, his willingness to help a friend, and his extraordinary integrity. We will miss him deeply.