Edward “Ed” Brown, 89 of Kingsport, Tenn., went home to be with his Savior on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at the James H. Quillen Medical Center in Johnson City, Tenn. Funeral services were held at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson Sunday, July 11, 2021. Burial with a military honor guard followed at Stevenson City Cemetery.
Ed grew up in Stevenson, Ala. and was a graduate of Stevenson High School. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received electrical and instrumentation training while living in Michigan. Over the course of his life he worked for Peerless Cement, Square D, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Mead Paperboard, and retired from Holston Defense Corporation in 1997. Ed was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and enjoyed spending time with family and friends. One of his greatest joys was being a Papaw. He loved attending church and Bible study, camping, gospel music, visiting the Barter Theatre, studying aviation history, and could fix practically anything. Ed was a member of Sullivan Baptist Church in Kingsport. He was a member of Bolivar Masonic Lodge in Stevenson.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence Brown and Willie Brown Hall, brothers R.D. Brown (Virginia), Billy Ray Brown, sister Magalene Smith, brothers-in-law Jay Stallings and Gordon Sebring as well as a niece and nephew. Surviving are his wife of 42 years, Brenda, children Susan Buckner, Elizabeth Stebbins (Peter), Phillip Brown (Kimberly), Michelle Ward (Christopher), and Michael Brown (Christine); stepson Darren Light, stepdaughter Devona Rotenberry (Hans); grandchildren Patrick Brown (Amber), David Buckner, Allen Buckner (Brittany), Chad Mitchell(Jessica), Chelsea Yost (Cameron), Megan Gillespie (Brian), Whitney Yarborough (Josh), Matthew Brown (Sarah), Jennifer Ward, Heather Byers (Austin), Rebecca Ward, Isaiah, Tyler and Andrew Glance, Lakin McVey(Colton), Bryson Light, Astrid and Zander Rotenberry; great grandchildren Huxton Buckner, Kyliegh and Cora Mitchell, Logan Ball, Jackson and Eliza Yarborough, Emory Gillespie, Lucas and Caroline Byers, and Amelia McVey; brother John Kenneth Brown (Brenda), sisters Edna Stallings and Mildred Sebring, sister-in-law Kay Brown, several nieces and nephews, and mother-in-law Grace Crawford.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 41428, Nashville, TN, 37204; or Sullivan Baptist Church, 4152 Maplewood St. Kingsport, TN 37660. The family would like to extend their sincerest thanks and appreciation to the staff at the Community Living Center at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center for their devoted, loving care over the last several years, as well as the VA Chaplain service for ministering to Ed.