William L. "Bill" Brown's Obituary
William L. Brown passed peacefully on January 24, 2024, at Magnolia Creek Nursing Home in Covington, Tennessee from complications stemming from a stroke.
Bill was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Teresa (Moran) and Louis "Sonny" Brown on November 3, 1947. His father sadly succumbed to cancer when Bill was only 5 years old. After his father's passing, Bill moved with his mother to Effingham, Illinois, where she met and married James Coleman. Jim's influence on Bill was evident to anyone who knew them both; Bill was overjoyed when his first grandchild called him Poppy, as it was close to Jim's chosen grandpa name of Pop.
Bill graduated from Effingham High School in 1965 and earned his associate's degree in drafting from Southern Illinois University. He married Mary Ann Toothaker in 1969, and the young couple lived in St. Louis briefly before returning to central Illinois to start a family.
In 1973, he took a job with World Color Press in Effingham, and in 1988 he relocated to Tennessee to help open its Covington location. Over the course of his career he saw many technological shifts in printing, starting as a photolithographer working with film and ending as a digital prep tech managing computer files. His keen eye for detail served him well in his profession, and he took tremendous pride in his work.
Bill was a man of few words, but he meant them. He was partial to his own company, but with those he was close to he was kind, thoughtful, and loyal. He had an infectious smile and a warm, dry wit, and he lived to make people laugh. He loved sappy movies, old cars, warm blankets on chilly Sunday mornings, and fresh cherry pie. He tipped every busker he saw. He collected books, though he didn't always get around to reading them, and was knowledgeable about a range of subjects from woodworking to weather. He enjoyed watching birds, and was particularly fond of cardinals. He was immensely proud of his daughter and grandchildren. He adored his wife.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Teresa; his father, Louis; his stepfather, James; his sister, Susan; and his wife, Mary Ann. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends, including daughter Nicole, son-in-law Richard, grandchildren Anya and Kai, and sisters Carol (Scott) and Jane (Dave).
Funeral Service for Bill will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 11:00am in the Fireside Chapel at Memorial Park Funeral Home. The family will receive friends for visitation an hour prior to the service starting at 10:00am. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.
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