Raymond Brown

Raymond Howard "Bull"� Brown died peacefully Tuesday September 18, 2012 at his home in Nashville, three days after his 100th birthday. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, the former Mary Elizabeth Smartt (whom he married January 20, 1945 in Cookeville), and daughters and sons-in-law Betty Rhea and Mousa Sadreddini and Martha and Larry Larkin, also of Nashville. A long-time resident of Cookeville, he had a distinguished career at Tennessee Technological University where he served for more than 30 years as a faculty member and coach and where he was also a highly decorated student athlete. He graduated from Tennessee Tech in 1942 and served during WWII in the U. S. Navy. When he returned from the service he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Tennessee and also accepted a coaching position on the UT football staff. After completing his Master"�s Degree in Health and Physical Education at UT, he was named Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach at Milligan College. He returned to his alma mater in 1947 as a faculty member and coach and remained there until his retirement in 1980. He was known to his numerous friends as "Bull,"� a nickname that he earned as a student athlete, and to the hundreds of students he coached and taught as "Coach."� During his student days at Tech, Coach Brown earned 15 athletic letters in four separate sports, more than any other student athlete in the University"�s history. He twice received the coveted Athletic Medal. His coaching career at Tech included eight seasons as Head Basketball Coach, Assistant Football Coach for seven years and Head Golf Coach for sixteen years. Tennessee Tech won three Ohio Valley Conference golf championships under Coach Brown"�s direction. He was also named OVC Golf Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Tennessee Tech University Sports Hall of Fame in 1976, the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1983. The Raymond "Bull"� Brown scholarship was established in his honor at Tennessee Tech in 1995. For a number of years, Coach Brown worked with WHUB in Cookeville as the Sports Director and host of a daily sports program. He also provided "Play by Play"� commentary for the Putnam County high schools and Tennessee Tech football and basketball games. Active in civic and community affairs, following his retirement, Coach Brown was a member of the Cookeville City Council for nine years and was elected Vice-Mayor for two council terms. He was appointed by Gov. Lamar Alexander and served as Chairman of the Tennessee Commission on Aging for eight years. As a long-time member of the First Baptist Church in Cookeville, Coach Brown served in a variety of volunteer roles and was a Sunday School teacher for over 40 years. He and his wife were among the founders of the Silver Point Mission and taught Sunday School there for the first 10 years of the Mission"�s existence. In 2005, Coach and Mrs. Brown moved to The Blakeford at Green Hills in Nashville to be close to their daughters and they attended Woodmont Baptist Church. A native of Alexandria, Tennessee, he was born September 15, 1912 to the late Nick and Willie Claire Brown. He was preceded in death by his brother, Walton Brown, and his sister, Helen Maxwell Carter. In addition to his wife and daughters, Coach Brown is survived by two nephews, Ron Maxwell (Judy) and David Maxwell (Vivian) as well as three nieces, Sara Warren (Billy), Lydia Holmes (Tim) and Esther Ruth Holder (Jack) and several great nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank neighbors and the staffs of The Blakeford and Blakeford-at-Home, the staff at Alive Hospice, and Dr. John Thompson, Dr. John Bright Cage and Dr. Heidi Rand for their friendship and their loving care. Celebration of Life services will be held at the First Baptist Church in Cookeville on Saturday, September 22, at 1 pm. Dr. Randall Adkisson will officiate. The family will receive friends at the Church from 10:30 am to 1 pm, prior to the service. Interment with military honors will follow in Crest Lawn Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Noble Cody, Ken Peterson, James Seay Brown, Wallace Prescott, Dusty Rhoden, Flavious Smith, Kenny Sidwell , LaBron Bell, Ronald Maxwell, David Maxwell and Bob Olsen. In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions be made to the Raymond "Bull"� Brown Scholarship at Tennessee Tech, Box 1915, Cookeville, TN 38505, or to the First Baptist Church, 18 South Walnut Ave, Cookeville, TN 38501 or a charity of your choice. Hooper Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is charge of arrangements (931) 526-6111.