Ralph E. Brown

AUSTINTOWN - Ralph E. Brown, 83, passed away peacefully at his home late Monday morning, Aug. 24, 2020, with his wife and daughter by his side.

Ralph was born May 31, 1937, in Lisbon, and was the son of the late Milo Brown and Ruth O’Neil Brown. He was raised by his mother and grandmother, Margaret Walkingshaw Nelson O’Neil, in Youngstown, along with his younger brother, and spent most of his life in Austintown.

He served his country from 1955 to 1958 in the U.S. Navy as an electrician aboard the USS Iowa. While in the Navy, he received his GED.

Ralph worked for eight years at Republic Steel in Youngstown, and then in October 1967, he started work for General Motors at the Lordstown Plant. He held various positions in the plant over the years, and retired in November 2003 after 36 years.

He was a member of Tabernacle Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Austintown.

Ralph loved watching his favorite sports teams, The Ohio State Buckeyes, Cleveland Browns, Indians, and Cavaliers, spending time with his children and grandchildren, and staying in Florida for the winter.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Grace Thomson Brown; his son, Dr. Bill “Buddy” Brown (Kelley Tomas) of St. Petersburg, Fla.; his daughter, Vicki (Shawn) Burke of Martinez, Calif.; two granddaughters, Alana and Kylah Burke, whom he loved to watch play soccer; a brother, Roy (Judy) Brown; a sister-in-law, Gail (Ran) Wayne; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and dear family friends, Don and Carol Barone, and Deloris Ring.

Besides his parents, two brothers, Milo and Donald Brown; and a sister, Evelyn Frohman, preceded him in death.

Per Ralph’s wishes, and due to the current virus situation, there will be no public calling hours. Memorial services will take place at a later date and will be at Tabernacle Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Austintown, and at Christ Community Presbyterian Church in Clearwater, Fla.

In lieu of flowers, please keep Ralph and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, through mahoningvalleysecondharvest.org, which would be greatly appreciated.