Jeffrey Brown

Jeffrey R. Brown, 62 of Whitingham, VT passed away peacefully at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, ME on Monday, May 1, 2017, after succumbing to not one, but two cancers. Born in Brattleboro, VT on February 27, 1955, he was the son of Joanne (Freeman) Brown and the late Donald R. Brown, and grandson to the late Rev. Lucy and Jasper Freeman and Louis and Elsie Brown. Jeffrey, known as Jeff to friends and family, attended 12 years of school in Whitingham and Jacksonville, VT. Starting in high school, he worked on The Brigham Farm for 5 years. In 1974, he was hired by Allan Bartlett where he was employed for 18 years as a heavy equipment operator before starting his own business in 1991. For 17 years, he was self-employed selling firewood, mowing fields and lawns, plowing driveways, and caretaking for second homes in the Deerfield Valley. Jeff served his hometown of Whitingham as a volunteer fireman and town selectman. He was a member of the Deerfield Valley Sportsmen's Club for 30 years and served as both Vice President and President for several of those years. Jeff was an avid outdoorsman, with an unmatched knowledge of hunting rifles and their history, he had a passion for old cars and hot rods, and he was well known for his skill in operating heavy equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, and tractors. Jeff shared many fond memories of hunting with his father and uncles on the old family farm in Wilmington, VT and fishing on Lake Whitingham with his friends and son. He also loved sharing his unique appreciation for the history and geography of Vermont, particularly the Deerfield Valley. One of Jeff's favorite pastimes and points of pride was boiling sap on the Corse Maple Farm. In his later years, Jeff enjoyed spending time with his two grandchildren. Jeff was formerly married to Wendy (Bartlett) Brown for 31 years. He is survived by their only son Josh Brown, daughter-in-law Kate, and adored grandchildren Will and Ali of Pownal, ME; his mother Joanne of Whitingham; sisters Donna Roy of Whitingham and Kelly Winter of Jamaica, VT; niece Becky Goodnow of Whitingham; nephews Matt Goodnow of Halifax, VT and Dan Kunesch of Jamaica, VT; grandnephews, grandnieces, and several cousins; and many good friends, including those he knew from childhood into adulthood and the Cup & Saucer regulars. A graveside service for close friends and family will be held at Sadawga Cemetery on Saturday, May 20, 2017. Those who knew Jeff are invited to attend a reception with the family at 2 PM on the same day at the Whitingham Community Church. To honor Jeff's love for hunting and the outdoors, please consider a contribution in his memory to the Green Mountain Conservation Camp Endowment Fund, Attn: Alison Thomas, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, 1 National Life Drive, Davis 2, Montpelier, VT 05620-3702. A graveside service for close friends and family will be held at Sadawga Cemetery on Saturday, May 20, 2017. Those who knew Jeff are invited to attend a reception with the family at 2 PM on the same day at the Whitingham Community Church.