Benjamin Melvin Brown passed away at 2:15pm on December 13, 2020 at the age of 88 at Boston Medical Center.
Born on October 11, 1932 in Portland, Maine to the late Benjamin Edmund Brown and Frances Naun Brown, he along with his younger sister Barbara, spent their childhood on Timber Island on Lake Kezar in Lovell, Maine, where the family’s history is deeply rooted.
After graduating from Fryeburg Academy in the next town over from Lovell, he volunteered to join the US Navy during the Korean War, where he served as a Radio Operator aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Kearsarge. He was given a compassionate discharge due to the untimely death of his father and returned to Lovell to help with family affairs before enrolling into Boston University where he obtained a BS in Political Science and a MS in Education.
He then moved to New York and taught at Higgins Academy, eventually returning to Boston as a Social Worker. During that time, being someone who understood injustice, he took part in the historic march with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in Washington, D.C.
In Boston, on a blind date, he met his future wife, Anne Davis, a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. 2 years after getting married, they welcomed their son, Damian into the world.
Upon finding Damian was born deaf, they quickly learned sign language as they knew the importance of real communication, especially at home. The family moved from Boston to Framingham by way of Natick, so their son could continue attending The Learning Center for the Deaf in framingham. They fought hard and succeeded in ensuring Damian was not left behind during his formative years.
While living in Natick, Ben got into real estate and settled into the business for the rest of his professional life.
His notable hobbies included geology, listening to the short wave radio, model trains, and boating. The boating hobby was passed onto Damian, who enjoys it at the family property on Lake Kezar.
The last few years of his life saw him battling an ever declining memory along with COPD, to which he eventually succumbed.
He was cremated at Casper Funeral Home In Boston.
He is survived by his wife, Anne, their son, Damian, and his sister, Barbara Wright, who lives in Florida.
His heart never left Lake Kezar, no matter where he was in the world— It has always been where he was happiest, so it is fitting his ashes be scattered on the lake. The service will take place sometime around mid-summer in Lovell.
He is greatly missed and forever loved.