Gerald Brown

GERALD M. BROWN

Los Angeles, Calif.

May 1930 - October 2018

Former Cedar Rapids resident Gerald M. Brown passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home Sunday, Oct. 28.

He was born in Davenport in 1930, the youngest of three, with a sister, Natlee, and a brother, Keith. He grew up in Cedar Rapids, where he accepted Christ at an early age and was actively affiliated with Mt. Zion Baptist Church. He has been attending West Angeles Church of God in Christ for more than 20 years. He also was active with Jane Boyd Community House.

He graduated from McKinley High School, where he excelled in football, basketball and track.

After high school, he enrolled in Coe College on a football scholarship. He then went to Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., on scholarship. In 2013, was inducted into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame.

After graduating with a B.S. degree in business administration, Mr. Brown was drafted and served in active military for two years. He then attended Minnesota School of Business for IBM data processing. He was employed by the Minneapolis Board of Education, then Remington Rand Univac. In 1962, he moved to California to work as a computer programmer.

He was promoted to senior programmer/system analyst for Los Angeles U.S.D. and retired from L.A.U.S.D. as director of information technology. He also earned a master's degree from Pepperdine University and taught evening classes in data processing and information technology at UCLA, Cal State and Pepperdine.

Gerald loved to travel and meet new people, and enjoyed all types of food. He enjoyed listening to jazz, blues, gospel and R&B music.

He is survived by his nephews, Kenneth Brown (Karla) and Rodney Dugan (Melissa); great-nephews, Kenneth Brown II, Kaleb Brown and Rodney Dugan II; great-nieces, Meegan Dugan-Bassett and Leah Dugan; great-great-nephews and -niece, Dylan Jack Dugan Johnson, Julian Dugan and Linley Bassett; sister-in-law, Martha Brown; and a large extended family, loyal friends and neighbors.