Frank Raymond Brown of Riverhead died on Feb. 26, 2020. He was 92 years old.
He was born on Sept. 12, 1927 in Riverhead to Robert Brown and Roselle Nash Brown. He was the youngest of 13 children and attended Riverhead public schools, where he played softball and ran track.
He worked a series of jobs. He graded and loaded potatoes on the John Mazzella Farm, unloaded feed grain from freight cars on the Hollis Warner Duck Farm, cleaned bags for the Segal Bag Company and served as a bellhop at the Henry Perkins Hotel.
His longest career was at Long Island Produce, later called Agway. He worked there 45 years and held positions such as machine operator, truck driver, deliveryman, explosive technician, assistant foreman, and employee representative. During this time he also worked at the Riverhead Police Department as a janitor and during the summer at the Richard Reeve Farm.
After his retirement from Agway he worked as a full-time seasonal landscaper.
He was an avid member of the First Baptist Church of Riverhead from a young age and sang on the first junior choir. He served as an usher for 63 years and retired as a marshall in the Eastern Baptist Association. He also served as the church’s janitor and groundskeeper for 24 years.
In 1948 Frank married Dorothy Edley, whom he met at First Baptist Church. Three daughters, Shirley Diane, Deborah and Joan resulted from their union. His family said, “Frank was a temperate and industrious man, committed to his work and most of all to his family.”
Predeceased by his wife of 67 years, his brothers, Isiah, Robert, Cainie, Harvey, Joseph and Wesley and his sisters Virginia, Rosa, Mary, Lucille, Priscilla and Gracie.
He is survived by his daughters, Shirley Diane, Joan Brown-Smith of Baltimore and Deborah Dorothy of Riverhead, two grandsons Raymond Jackson (Tibithia) of North Carolina and Jason Jackson of New York City, and great-grandchildren Nytaea Gholson, and Brandon and Kiasia Jackson.
The family will receive visitors on Sunday, March 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Riverhead. Visitation will continue on Monday, March 2 from 10 to 11 a.m. with funeral services to follow at 11 a.m. Interment will be held at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care of Tuthill Mangano Funeral Home.