Robert Lee Brown's Obituary
Fayetteville— Robert “Bob” Lee Brown, age 92, of Fayetteville, Ark., passed away on December 19, 2023. He was born January 17, 1931, in Gibson City, Ill., to Maurice Smith and Thelma Sawyer Smith Brown.
After high school graduation, Bob worked for his father’s asphalt company as a crane oiler before enlisting to serve in the Korean War. After the war, he attended Hendrix College in Conway, Ark., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. It was at Hendrix College that he met his future wife, Betty Fisher, of Beebe, Ark. They have been married for 65 years.
His career was spent as a civil servant working for various roles in the U.S. Government. He retired as an auditor for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Bob and Betty moved from Pine Bluff, Ark., to Fayetteville in 2001 to live closer to family.
Bob will be dearly missed by his family and all of the animals that he lovingly watched over and fed from his back porch for as long as anyone can remember. He had a huge heart for all animals, but especially those that might be cold or hungry during the night. He loved to cook, and had a wall of cookbooks he collected during his travels over the years. Generations to come will enjoy family recipe traditions like his shrimp spaghetti, gumbo, and key lime pies.
“Papa,” as he was affectionately called by his grandchildren, was an avid reader and voracious student of information. He devoured stats, facts, and figures any chance he got and loved to share the information with others. He was meticulous about car maintenance, passionate about the things he collected, and somewhat of a worrier who checked on his family members frequently.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Maurice Smith and Thelma Sawyer Smith Brown, and infant son, Jeffery Carl Brown.
Bob is survived by his wife, Betty Brown; son, Doug and Carole Phillipsen of Fairhope, Ala.; daughter, Anne Brown Bradford and her husband, Hal, of Fayetteville; along with five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Under the direction of Nelson Berna Funeral Home, a private family service will be held Friday, December 22, 2023, at the Fayetteville National Cemetery with military honors to follow.
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