Clarence Henry Brown

April 15, 2015

Clarence Henry Brown, Jr. 81, Vina, Alabama, died April 15, 2015, at North Mississippi Medical Center.  Clarence was born June 6, 1933, to Clarence and Celeste Moore Brown in Meridian, Miss.  He graduated from Enterprise High School and joined the United States Navy in 1951. He sailed around the world aboard the aircraft carriers the USS Tarawa and the USS Leyte Gulf and served during the Korean Conflict.  After four years in the Navy he earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and married Gerlda Marie Newton on July 2, 1960, in Mobile. In 1963 Clarence began his career with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville. In a career that spanned 30 years with NASA, he served as Director of Procurement at John Glenn Space Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss., as well as Assistant Deputy Director of Procurement in Washington, D C.  He worked on the Apollo program and the Space Shuttle program.  After retirement he initiated a second career with Rust International Yellow Creek Project.  Clarence enjoyed traveling, visiting with family, and spending time with his grandchildren and siblings.  He loved to tell a story and he left an impression with everyone he met.

Services were Saturday April 18, 2015, at Enterprise Baptist Church, Enterprise, Miss. Burial with military honors was in Enterprise Cemetery. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Gerlda and two daughters, Rebecca Sartor and husband, William, of Tupelo and Katherine Lanford and husband, Michael of Ridgeland.  He leaves three grandchildren, Caroline and Elizabeth Lanford, and Henry Sartor; two brothers, Douglas Brown and wife, Janet, and Joe Brown and wife, Rande; and one sister Clarice Williams, and numerous beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Sidney Brown.

Visitation was Friday, April 17, at Deaton Funeral Home in Red Bay, Saturday at Enterprise Baptist Church, Enterprise, Miss. Online condolences may be posted on deatonfuneralhomes.com.