Elder Louis J. Brown, Sr.

On September 14, 1933, in St. Maurice, Louisiana, on the outskirts of Montgomery, Louisiana, Irvin Brown, Sr. and Mossie Lene Brown were blessed by God with a precious gift, a boy, Louis Johnny Brown, AKA L J Brown. He was raised in the “Jim Crow” south, in an era when African Americans had limited opportunities but possessed great hope through their belief in God, the creator of all that exists. His parents moved him and his ten siblings to Winnfield, Louisiana, since the “40 acres and a mule” never materialized for the “colored folks” of the deep south.

He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict and was honorably discharged in 1955. After meeting and marrying Marie A. Nelson in 1953, he faithfully attended church and was a member of the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church where he and his children were baptized by the Reverend Donald Washington. After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, he made the decision in 1965 to move to Seattle, Washington, to seek better economic opportunities and spiritual growth for his family.

Through prayers and the support of his sister-in-law, Alberta Woodard, he became gainfully employed, building commercial airplanes at the Boeing Company. Initially, Louis and his family became members of the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Seattle, but because of inspirational people, such as Mary Belle Sterling, J H Lawrence, and Alberta Woodard, the family became members of the Spruce Street Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The Lord continued to bless Louis as he struggled through family issues, and throughout several layoffs and reductions of shifts that were notorious at Boeing (he was never laid off).   When the decision was made in 1979 to split the Spruce Street Congregation to encourage church growth, Louis gladly accepted the reassigned membership to the new church establishment and became a charter member of what is now the Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving the South Beacon Hill and South Rainier Valley areas of Seattle. The Spruce Street Church then became The Emerald City Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving the Central area of Seattle.

Retiring from Boeing in 1995, Louis continued in faithful service in several leadership roles at Maranatha, doing God’s work until he could no longer sustain such duties. Even in his last years, contending with limited mobility and loss of eyesight, he celebrated the spirit of privilege in the Lord’s Light of Salvation.

Louis’s sunset was on July 26,2025, fittingly, The Sabbath Day, surrounded by family delivering their final kiss of “Goodbye.” He leaves a legacy of 9 children (2 deceased) – Jessie Lee Jones (Lewis), Troy Lynn Bryant, Brenda Williams (Renners), deceased, Rose Marie McClelland (Brown), Louis Johnny Brown, Jr (succeeding patriarch, First Elder), L’Tanya De’Lice Spears (Brown), Cynthia ReNee Brown, Sharon Verette Greer (Brown), Michael DeValarie Brown (deceased). 18 grandchildren (1 deceased), 30 plus great grandchildren, 7 great great grandchildren, and a host of extended family and friends.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Elder Louis J. Brown, Sr., please visit our floral store.