Calvin Byron Brown

In true Cal Brown fashion, he drafted his own obituary.  Calvin a/k/a Cal Brown passed away on April 16, 2024 at the age of 80 after a long battle with prostate cancer.  He was born on August 6, 1943, during WWII in Knoxville, Tennessee.  He considered himself a Florida Cracker as a fifth generation Floridian.  The Brown family first settled in St. Augustine in 1772 when the British had control of Florida.  Cal’s family first moved to Vero Beach in 1946. He is predeceased by his father, Clarence Brown, and mother, Charlotte Armstrong Brown Hagar.

Cal grew up in Vero Beach, graduating from Vero Beach High School in 1961. As a youth, he loved hunting the unsettled areas of Vero. He was very active in high school and he was a star halfback on the football team. He was also on the track and golf team.  In 1961 he won the state high school mile race and held the high school record for many years. He was selected as one of VBHS’s outstanding athletes during the 20^th century.

Cal first went to Wake Forest College on an athletic scholarship. He won the Atlantic Coast Conference cross county championship while there. He transferred to the University of Florida where he joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He received his B.S. degree in Business in 1965. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University in 1968 and practiced law in Polk County, Florida until 1970. At that time, he returned to Vero Beach and joined Mitchell, Sharp and Johnston which later became Sharp, Johnson and Brown.

In 1974 he joined Burch and Collins law firm becoming Burch Collins and Brown. The firm is now known as Collins Brown Barkett, Chtd. He was a senior partner for many years. His practice focused on real property, commercial litigation and representing lending institutions. He was an A-V rated lawyer for many years. In 1979 at the age of 35 years old, he was selected as one of the 10 best lawyers in Indian River County.

During his life, he had many outside interests, activities and hobbies. He was active in the quarter horse arena, having as many as 12 horses on his small farm west of Vero. The family, mainly daughter Allison traveled around the state showing the horses. He loved the Florida Gators and for many years attended all the home games. The family enjoyed their cabin in the mountains of North Carolina for many years.

When he and Canda married in 1991, their focus became boating. Gone were the horses and the cabin. Years of their boating experiences were so blessed with cruising the Bahamas in their boats, The Third Time and Cuda’s Cay, with their two dogs, Boggie and Bella. They finally settled in Green Turtle Cay where they enjoyed fishing, lobstering and, of course, drinking rum punches at Pineapples.

Cal hunted all his life. There were fun trips to Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota for elk, mule deer, antelope, bears and pheasants. In 1979, he helped start the Wayward Hunt Club which was 3,400 acres of Florida paradise and Cal’s happy place. It was a special place to hunt and just hang out with his camp friends. As members aged, the facilities and camp house became more like a vacation second home. He loved the woods and camp life, being camp cook for many years. Of course, a nice 8 point buck or a fat wild hog added to the pleasure. He loved cocktails around the fire.

Cal accomplished much during his lifetime. He served on many legal, country club, civic and church boards; local and statewide. Some included being president of the local bar association, Indian Chiefs Booster Club, Indian River Riding Club and Vero Beach County Club, and director of the United Way and Chamber of Commerce.

Cal loved seeing his daughters, Allison and Molly, grow up and become successful professionals and parents. He had so much fun being a grandparent to Allison’s son, Dylan, and Molly’s daughters, Katy and Kelly. When Canda came into the picture, her daughter, Allison, became the third child and was loved as much as the others. He had a very special relationship with her children, Libby and Zack, as well.

Throughout Cal’s life, God, Jesus and his church have been of utmost importance. He was not a “Choir Boy” for most of his life, and had to seek forgiveness many times. His faith and trust in God and Christ kept him going. This was the foundation of his happiness and contentment. He made every effort to instill the Christian faith in his family and friends. He loved St. Mark’s Anglican Church and was active in every aspect of its worship and activities. He is past Senior Warden and Treasurer of St. Mark’s. He loved assisting in Mass by reading the Scriptures and serving the elements.

He is survived by his wife, Canda, daughter, Allison Jones and grandson, Dylan of Nashville, Tennessee; daughter, Molly Catino (Jim) and granddaughters, Katy and Kelly, Brentwood, Tennessee; stepdaughter, Allison Rudder and her children, Elizabeth and Zachary and their father, Cory Rudder, Vero Beach; sister, Roslyn Evans (Ralph), Vero Beach, their children and grandchildren and Judy Beal (George), Vero Beach and their children and grandchildren.

May he rest in peace.

Service to be held at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, 1795 45^th Street, Vero Beach, FL on April 23, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. with a Celebration of life to be held at the Vero Beach Country Club following the service.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to St. Mark’s Anglican Church Endowment Fund, 1795 45^th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32967 or to VNA Private Care Foundation, 920 37^th Place, Suite 101, Vero Beach, FL 32960.

Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.