Ernest H. Brown, insurance agency owner and former schoolteacher, has died at 71

Ernest H. Brown, 71, of Cheltenham, longtime State Farm insurance agency owner, former teacher for the Philadelphia School District, two-time national executive director of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, church leader, and mentor, died Wednesday, April 2, after an illness at his home.

Inspired largely by the compassion of his mother, fellowship of his 11 siblings, and support of his wife and children, Mr. Brown made it his goal to forge meaningful connections with people of all ages on personal and professional levels. He taught reading, math, science, and morality to elementary school students in Philadelphia for five years, collaborated with his wife, Rose, to educate consumers about insurance coverage for more than 40 years, and developed outreach and mentorship programs for more than 50 years as a lifetime member and leader of Kappa Alpha Psi.

His fraternity colleagues praised his “zeal, fidelity, and brotherhood” in a tribute and said he “always had a kind word for everyone he encountered.” His family said in a tribute: “He was a mentor to so many within the fraternity and strived to help everyone achieve their best.”

Mr. Brown started at State Farm as a claims adjuster and opened his own agency in 1983. He was organized, energetic, and personable, his wife said, and adept at working with people to clarify and then address their needs.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Cincinnati in 1975 and worked at first as a substitute and then a full-time teacher because, his wife said, “he wanted to make a difference.” Sometimes, he bought clothes for students he saw were in need. Always, he offered gentle guidance and a sense of safety.

During college, he volunteered with underserved children in the community. Later, as a leader at Kappa Alpha Psi, he reached thousands of young people through the fraternity’s educational and occupational guidance programs.

“He really cared,” his wife said. “It was his mission to see that kids got a chance.”

Mr. Brown joined Kappa Alpha Psi in 1973 while at Cincinnati and went on to serve as its two-time national executive director, polemarch of the Philadelphia alumni chapter, and board member of the Northeastern Province. He earned the Northeastern Province’s James M. Kidd Award for “outstanding service” and a Philadelphia alumni chapter award for achievement.

He also served on several committees and as a trustee and college tour chaperone at Salem Baptist Church in Abington. He was a member of the Cheltenham chapter of the NAACP and Masonic Lodge No. 43 in Philadelphia.

“He was committed to a lifetime of service,” his family said in a tribute.

Ernest Harris Brown was born July 10, 1953, in Tifton, Ga. He and his family moved to the Strawberry Mansion section of North Philadelphia when he was 6 months old and then to West Oak Lane when he was 13.

He attended Faith Baptist Church as a boy, competed in track, cross-country, and fencing at Murrell Dobbins High School, and graduated in 1971. He was interested in science and attended Wilberforce University in Ohio for a year before transferring to Cincinnati.

He met fellow student Rose Dial at a college party, and they married in 1976 and had a son, Kenneth, and a daughter, Karla. They lived in Germantown, Northeast Philadelphia, and Mount Airy before moving to Cheltenham.

Mr. Brown cheered for the Eagles and Phillies. He enjoyed music and old movies. Two of his brothers were veterans, and one was killed in Vietnam. So Mr. Brown supported veterans and acknowledged his brothers every year on Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

He doted on his family and friends. “He was calm,” his wife said. “He had a warm personality. He loved people. As soon as you met him, you liked him.”

In addition to his wife and children, Mr. Brown is survived by four grandchildren, three sisters, three brothers, and other relatives. Three sisters and two brothers died earlier.

A celebration of his life was held April 19.

Donations in his name may be made to the Kappa Alpha Psi Philadelphia Achievement Academy, 5521 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19144.