CHARLES JAMES “BUTCH” BROWN, 73

EAST LIVERPOOL – On Thursday afternoon, January 7, 2016, Charles James Brown passed away suddenly at his home on Berkshire Road in East Liverpool. “Butch”, as he was known to his family and many friends, was 73.

Born on March 3, 1942 in Pittsburgh, he was a son of the late Silas James and Pauline Castor Brown. Following graduation in 1960 from Beaver High School, he served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Henderson and the USS Wright as a radioman from 1961 to 1965.

Upon his return home from the Navy, he married the former Elizabeth “Ann” Morris on June 19, 1965. The couple celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2015.

Butch learned to fly at Beaver County Airport, and in 1966, he became licensed as a pilot. For many years, he was associated with Worthington Industries in Columbus, where he was a corporate pilot from 1977 until his retirement in 2000. At that time, he and Ann came to the East Liverpool area to be nearer to family.

Butch, NK8I, was a life member of the Tin Can Sailors and had been net control operator of their weekly net. He belonged to the International Morse Code Preservation Society (FISTS), as well as the Straight Key Century Club, the TriAngle Amateur Radio Club in East Liverpool and the East Palestine Amateur Radio Club, and was formerly known by the call sign WB8FAI.

Ann survives him at home. Butch also leaves behind a daughter, Terri Berchak and her husband, Walt, of Hilliard, OH.

There is also a sister, Barbara Molnar and her husband, Jesse, of Beaver Falls, and a brother, Richard Brown and his wife, Mildred, of Beaver.

Pastor Norm Eckert of Beechwood Free Methodist Church will conduct services at the Dawson Funeral Home at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Burial will take place at Clarkson Cemetery, where the Tri-State Veterans Burial Group will provide full military honors.

Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday.

Those wishing to do so may make contributions in Butch’s name to the Wounded Warriors Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.