Paul B. Brown

Paul Brown, 90, of Overland Park, KS, passed away Sunday, June 8, 2008 at his home. Funeral services at 1:00pm Tuesday, June 10, at The Louis Memorial Chapel, 6830 Troost Avenue. Burial at Rose Hill Cemetery. Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Paul Barton Brown 1974 Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267. A life long area resident, Mr. Brown was born in Kansas City, MO, the son of Sol and Sarah (Mnookin) Schlein (deceased), graduated from Paseo High School, class of 1934, and from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1938. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, served in the Intelligence Division, and achieved the rank of Captain. Mr. Brown was owner of Dealers Tire and Auto Supply and a long-time member of The Temple, Congregation B’nai
Jehudah. He and his first wife, Esther Swirk Brown (deceased, 1970), the civil
rights activist, had four children: Susan Brown Tucker of New York City; Leslee Brown Blackler and husband Robert of South Harwich, MA; Lisa Brown Oppenheimer and husband Eric of Santa Fe and Ojo Caliente, NM. His son, Paul Barton (Bart) Brown, died in 1980 at twenty-eight. Also predeceasing Mr. Brown are his adoptive father, Sam Brown (1967);
a brother, Martin G. Brown (March 2008) and his father-in-law, Ben Swirk (1976). He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Reeva; his brother and sister-in-law: Bernard and Barbara Brown, Overland Park, KS; brother-in-law: Joe Swirk, Kansas City, MO; sister-in-law: Helen Brown, Leawood, KS; his grandchildren through his first wife: Zak Tucker, NYC; Jed Brown Tucker, Stoneridge, NY; Liz Blackler, NYC; Jenny Blackler, Flagstaff, AZ; Emily Jane Oppenheimer and Ben Barton Oppenheimer, Santa Fe and Ojo Caliente, NM. Also surviving are Reeva’s children: Irene (Biederman) Ellis and husband Saul; Phyllis (Biederman) Roufa and husband Shel; grandchildren: Jim Ellis; Michael Ellis and wife Jessica; and great-grandchildren: Hersh Ellis and Shayna Ellis and their mother, Mindi Ellis.