Rev. William Brown

Rev. William Martin Brown, 92, of Shippensburg, passed away on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at Green Ridge Village, Newville.

Born Sunday, February 12, 1928 in West Oneonta, New York, he was a son of the late William Martin and Marian Sterling Brown.

William graduated from Wyoming Seminary, Upper School, Kingston, PA in 1945, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. There he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity and Playshop and Alpha Psi Omega Dramatic Fraternity. He went on to graduate from Boston University School of Theology in 1965 Master of Divinity. William taught English at Rowlesburg, West Virginia High School.

He received his Pastor’s License from Elm Park Methodist Church, Oneonta, New York. He was ordained in the Methodist Church of the Central Pennsylvania Conference by Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam. The Churches he served include: Avis (interim student pastor); Clearfield Circuit (student pastor); Fayetteville; Shrewsbury, Grace-New Freedom, Trinity Church; Altoona, 58th Street U.M.C.; York Bethlehem (merged Ridge Ave. Methodist and Bethlehem EUB Churches); Huntingdon, First U.M.C.; and Shippensburg, Messiah U.M.C. He retired July 1, 1993 as Visitation Pastor from the First Church in Chambersburg.
William’s Conference service includes: Camp Director for over 20 years; United Methodist Cluster Leader Huntingdon & Shippensburg, Board of Education (former Methodist Conference); Commission on Worship (former Methodist Conference); Conference Secretary for 23 years; Council on Ministries; Committee on Nominations; Committee on Conference Session; and Council on Finance and Administration. He also served as Board of Directors United Methodist Homes for the Aging (now Bethany Village); Board of Directors, Neighborhood Center (including Chairmanship); Bishop’s Management Team; Chair, Chambersburg District Committee on the Superintendency; Coordinator, Conference Pastoral Chaplaincy Program; Assistant Secretary, Northeastern Jurisdiction Conference, three quadrennial; Recipient of the Bishop D. Frederick Wertz Award for Outstanding Service to the Church; President (twice) Conference Retired Minister’s Fellowship; and First Chair of Summer of Service Ministry in the Conference.
Rev. Brown’s community service includes: Founder and Chair of Huntingdon Food Bank; Huntingdon County Block Grant Committee; Board of Directors, Huntingdon Head Start; Judge of Elections, Shippensburg East Ward; Member of Cumberland County Democratic Committee; Shippensburg East Ward Democratic Committeeman; Chair of Shippensburg Meals on Wheels; Chaplain-on-call, Chambersburg Hospital; and Board of Directors, Chambersburg Area Community Concert Association.
Organizations he was involved with include: JayCees, New Freedom; Kiwanis Club, Huntingdon (Past President); Rotary Club, Shippensburg; and Chambersburg Mallwalkers’ Club (President).
William was a United States Army Veteran serving in the Korean War with the 2nd Infantry Division, Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG) and Commendation Ribbon for Meritorious Service.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Lorraine Bodkin Brown whom he married August 21, 1954 in Buckhannon, WV; three children, Ann Elise (Timothy) Baer, Carol Elaine (Steve) McKinley, and Peter Eric (Monica Wolfe) Brown; grandchildren, Joshua Baer, Sarah Baer, Emily (husband Alec) Young, Christopher (wife Rachel) McKlinley, David McKinley, Xavier Brown and Kirsten Brown; one great grandchild, Rowan

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one son, Paul Emery Brown, and all his siblings.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church, Chambersburg, with Ministry from the Susquehanna Conference. Burial will be private in Spring Hill Cemetery
with Military Honors conducted by the Oscar M. Hykes American legion Post # 223 Minutemen.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.fogelsanger-brickerfuneralhome.com.