SOUTH NEW BERLIN – Paul O. Brown, 69, long-time and well-known South New Berlin resident, passed away Friday evening, April 30, 2010, in the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown.
The son of Olin and Edna Hogencamp Brown, Paul was born in February of 1941 in South Plymouth. He attended school in Otselic and later served his country in the United States Army. In 1961, in Chesterfield, South Carolina, Paul married Leona Stevens. He was a resident of South New Berlin for over 40 years and, during that time, was actively involved in his community. Paul was a member of both the South New Berlin Emergency Squad and the Fire Department, for which he had served as Fire Chief for 12 years and had held other offices within the department. He owned and operated Paul Brown’s Auto Repair Shop in South New Berlin, where he earned the reputation of being honest and straight-forward. Genuinely caring of others, and always willing to help anyone, Paul would often do auto repairs for people whether they could pay or not. He was a hard worker who always liked to keep busy. Concurrently with the repair shop, he worked at different times for Norwich Shoe, Nearing Dodge, and Bennett Ireland, and was a bus driver for the Unadilla Valley school system for over 20 years.
Paul is survived by his wife of 48 years, Leona Brown of South New Berlin; and by his children and their spouses: Cora Wynns of Columbus, Roger and Mary Brown of South New Berlin, Richard and Pam Brown of South New Berlin, Ricky and Jenna Brown of Oxford, Ronald Brown of South New Berlin, and Dominic Brown of Oneonta. Paul is also survived by his brothers, Robert Brown and wife Kay and Delton Brown and wife June, all of South Plymouth; his grandchildren: Jacob, Elizabeth, Ryan, Christie, Samantha, Jerry, Sabrina, Destiny, Sierra, Gunner, and Monach; his great grandchildren, Johnny and Nicole; and nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Raymond Brown.
Funeral services for Paul will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday from the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home. The Rev. Romeyn Kipp, pastor of the Holmesvile Baptist Church, will officiate. Interment will be in the Deer Pond Cemetery of Pharsalia. Friends are invited to call at the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.
Those wishing to remember Paul with a memorial contribution are asked to send it to the South New Berlin Fire Dept., South New Berlin, NY 13843.