Kenneth Gay Brown, age 96, of Pinehurst, NC, passed away at FirstHealth Hospice House on May 8, 2023. Kenneth was born in Gadsden, Alabama, March 21, 1927, to Alphus Jesse Brown and Margaret Elizabeth Gay.
Ken was 5 when his mother and stepfather, Harry Artz, went to Java, Indonesia, for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company where Harry was an executive VP. He learned Dutch, which was taught in the schools. At the age of 13, Ken and his family moved back to Gadsden, Alabama. While in Gadsden he joined the Boy Scouts. He graduated from the Columbia Military Academy in Tennessee. Ken got his pilot’s license at the age 16, held instrument and commercial ratings, and owned his own aircraft most of his life.
After his service in the Army, he enrolled at Georgia Tech University. While at Georgia Tech, he was invited into the ANAK Society (top 12 students in junior year) and he joined Sigma Chi fraternity. He also belonged to the Dramatech, a student origination associated with The Atlantic Theater. Ken graduated with a chemical engineering degree. After Georgia Tech he got his master’s in nuclear engineering at Columbia University. He was invited to Fermi's Lab at Princeton University to participate in seminar with Albert Einstein. He went on to work at 26 Broadway in New York City before being sent back to the Far East for Standard Oil.
Ken worked for Ashland Oil, Kentucky, and traveled all over the world. He worked for Arthur D. Little (Cambridge, Massachusetts) as an economist in the oil and gas projects as well as financial and shipping. At one point, he was running one of the largest Greek shipping companies, managing a fleet of over 100 tankers in a workout situation for a consortium of banks. Ken worked for Pertimina, the Indonesian Oil Company.
Ken worked for Cumberland Farms of Canton, MA. He became president of Newfoundland Energy that bought the Come-By-Chance (CBC) defunct oil refinery in 1984. Having rusted for 12 years he put a team together that resurrected and brought the refinery back on line. CBC has the deepest port on the entire Eastern Coast so it could receive VLCC’s coming and going. Ken taught executives of Petrobas, (Brazillian Oil Company) about OPEC. Part of a group that wrote the 20-year energy plan for Australia.
Kenneth is survived by his wife, Virginia “Gina” Brown; son, Michael Scott (Danka) Brown; daughter, Susan Elizabeth Brown and Katherine Gay (Glen) Lawton; stepchildren, J. Henry (Deborah) vanLoon and Frederick C. vanLoon; grandchildren, Jessica Palmer Brown, Ryder Haske and Thomas Woods Lawton; step grandchildren, Hayley E. vanLoon, Stephanie R. vanLoon and Olyvia (Mark) Phillips. Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Harry Artz; son, Stephen Lee Brown; Suzie’s long-term friend, Ralph Stewart Gallagher
A private service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to the Walthour-Moss Foundation, 226 Equestrian Rd, Southern Pines, NC, or charity of choice.
Online condolences may be left at: www.bolesfuneralhome.com
Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home, Pinehurst.
