George O. Brown, 87, passed away at his home in Fernandina Beach on February 19, 2025 after suffering a brain injury in a fall three weeks earlier.

George was a native of Montgomery, Alabama and grew up in Mobile and west Georgia. In high school he participated in all sports, the Debate Club and was editor of his senior yearbook. The day after high school graduation he left for Atlanta, where he had an academic scholarship at Georgia Tech.

From an early age, George was fascinated by anything that had an engine and went fast: cars, motorcycles and airplanes. He got his first Harley-Davidson as soon as he got his driver's license; he took flying lessons and soloed in a Piper Cub when he was 16 years old. On the slower side of things, he loved to play tennis, sail and shoot sporting clays. He had been a member of the Vero Beach Corvette Club, the Bahia Beach Yacht Club, the Experimental Aircraft Association and Indian River Sporting Clays. He had coached Pop Warner football and volunteered for the Federal Aviation Association.

Over the years George worked for Lockheed, Aero-Science Engineers, General Electric and The Foxboro Company. He retired from Foxboro in 1999 after 26 years of service. In retirement he pursued his love of reading. He was proud of his Scottish heritage but greatly admired and studied the writings of his hero, Winston Churchill.

George was raised in the Southern Baptist Church but in later years had joined the United Methodist Church.

George leaves behind Judi, his beloved wife of 52 years and those who affectionately called him "Papa Bear:" daughter Deborah Brown Fields of Cincinnati, OH, son Eric Brown and wife Patti of Kingsland, GA, grandsons Dr. Brett and wife Melanie Fields of Dayton, OH and Craig Fields of Cincinnati. Especially dear to his heart was his two-year-old great-granddaughter, Mira Fields. Pre-deceased by daughter Dava Brown, who sleeps in heavenly peace.

Services for George will be held Saturday, March 1, 2025 in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors. A visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. with funeral service following at 11:00 a.m., Pastor Steve Taylor officiating.

He will be laid to rest beside Dava at Bosque Bello Cemetery.

There will be a reception to follow at Memorial United Methodist Church.