Billy Joe Brown

BROWN, Billy Joe was born April 28, 1931, to Joseph Oliver Brown and Gertie Onita Hash Brown in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas. He died Thursday March 20th in Richardson, TX. He graduated from Wichita Falls Senior High School and attended Texas A&M University on a Four-Year Scholarship he won in a Debate Tournament conducted by the Optimist Organization.He was a member of the CORPS and studied Civil Engineering.During the Summer Breaks he worked for the M-K-T Railroad and later went to work in their Dallas Engineering Department.He insisted that he would only remain if the girl he had chosen to be his wife would go with him.Bill and Jean Locke were married December 29, 1951, beginning 63 years of married bliss. While with the Katy Railroad, he trailed as a Train Master as part of the Chief Engineer’s Training program.The knowledge he learned about railroading became a most valuable asset for his life and his career.When the Engineering Department moved its office to Denison, Bill was forced to make a decision, and regretfully he left the Kathy after twelve years service. Bill was proficient in design of all phases of railroad track construction with a thorough working knowledge of track work design standards and specifications.In days without computers, it was an advantage that he was capable of hand drafting design construction plans by free-hand, LEROY, or machine drafting.With the knowledge, he applied and was accepted at Forrest & Cotton Engineering Consultants. While at Forrest & Cotton, he worked on many major construction projects such as the Chamizale Project in El Paso relocating the Rio Grande River, New Trolley Tracks, and the construction of the Bridge of Americas that connected El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. When Forrest & Cotton was purchased by the URS Corporation, he was classified as a Design Engineer and he traveled to various major East Coast cities to study and report for a prospective acquisition by a major rail company.Other projects took him to New Mexico; Alaska, to work on the Alaskan Oil Line; and San Francisco and its transit line. In 1986, Bill was employed by the Dallas DART to work on the new transit line.In 1989, with the failure of a proposed referendum passage, he and over 90 newly hired employees were terminated.As Senior Track Engineer, he went to work for Huett-Zollars Consultant Engineering with the new DART Transit line a major project.He had a Lifetime membership in the American Railway Engineering Association.Railroads were his passion and he rarely visited any new town without first finding its train depot.After 52 years of employment, Bill retired from Huett-Zollars after 13 years of service there. He was a member of many organizations:Worshipful Master of James Ladd Burgess Masonic Lodge in Dallas, a 32 Member of Scottish Rite; Hella Temple Shriners; Worthy Patron of Lucinda Conner Lodge of the Order of the Easter Star; and President of the John Ireland Elementary School’s Dad’s Club. He was an active member of the Parent-Teacher Associations through his children’s school years.He was Pack Leader of Cub Scout Pack 95 of John Ireland Elementary School and Annie Webb Blanton Pack 762.Through the 17 years of leadership in the Boy Scouts of America he was District Training Chairman of the Southern Cross Cub Scouts;assisting Circle Ten Council in the POW WOW annual training sessions.As a parent and volunteer of the Boy Scout Troop, the boys bestowed upon him the Order of the Arrow during a Tap-out ceremony at Camp Constantine.In honor of his long years of dedicated service to the Boy Scouts of America program, Bill was presented with Scouts highest award for volunteers, the Silver Beaver Award.In recognition of his many years of achievements as a volunteer, the Annie Webb Blanton PTA gave him a Lifetime Membership in the T3xas State Parent-Teacher Association. He was a 35 year member at the former Pleasant Grove e First Baptist Church, and 16 years at Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church, serving as a Sunday School Teacher, Director and President of Forever Young Senior Group.He cherished the friends and acquaintances he made and all of the good times they shared. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Tommy Don Brown.He is survived by his adoring wife, Jean; his sons Stephen (Melanie) and Russell Brown; his daughter, Chery LeCrone (Greg); his granddaughters, Tiffani Makahilahila (Keoki), Briana LeCrone; Claire and Julia Brown; two grandsons, Jonathan LeCrone, Jared Brown, and five Great-Grandchildren, Leilani, Kamaile, Kalea, Kekoa Makahilahila and Nathaniel LeCrone. Bill was a generous, kindhearted soul respected by many and cherished by his family friends.This world is a better place because of his contributions.His greatest delight was spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.“We like bananas, too, Grandpa.Love you and miss you.” Visitation will be from 5:00PM - 7:00PM Monday March 24, 2014 at New Hope Funeral Home. Funeral Service at 1:00PM Tuesday March 25, 2014 at New Hope Funeral Home,500 E Hwy 80, Sunnyvale, TX75182 and interment will follow at Restland Memorial Park,Dallas, TX. Contributions in his name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.