Calvin Leon Brown

Calvin L. Brown, 56, was born May 2, 1961, in Queens, New York, the second son of James and Mary Brown’s four children. On Tuesday, December 19, 2017, he passed away in the company of his daughter, Jenifer Brown, in Lanham, MD. He was confirmed at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1975 in Queens, New York, and later joined St. Titus Episcopal Church in Durham, NC.

Calvin attended Cardoza High School in Queens, NY and graduated in 1979. He went on to attend Cornell University and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial and Labor Relations. Following his graduation, Calvin ventured to the sunny state of Florida, where he was employed with the Burroughs Corporation. He returned to the northeast, settling in New Brunswick, New Jersey until 1988. While there, he met Deborah De Bourg-Brown, whom he wed in 1989. To further his entrepreneurial pursuits, he attended the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School from 1988-1990, where he graduated with a Master’s of Business Administration degree in Management.  He started his professional career with IBM in 1990. Eager to start his own venture, he created a tax preparing business and later transitioned to becoming an independent financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial in 1999. In 2017, he joined Crossbridge Financial Group as a private wealth advisor.

Calvin’s principal passion was karate, in which he was a 4th degree black belt. As a young boy, he was enamored with karate icons such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, and often practiced the moves he saw on his sisters. At 12 years old, he began his first karate lessons and never stopped. He began Shotokan karate as a freshman at Cornell University and earned his first degree black belt in Coral Springs, Florida. In 1985, Calvin won the South-East Region Men’s Black Belt Kumite (Sparring) competition. He continued to compete and attend karate camps throughout his karate career. In 2011, he was a member of the champion South-East Region’s Men’s Kumite Team at the Japan Karate Association/World Federation National Tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Calvin was actively involved in karate camps and clubs, and loved teaching karate lessons. In 1999, he joined the UNC Shotokan Club and served as assistant instructor for several years. He began teaching his first group of adult karate students in 2012, and began teaching children at the Chapel Hill Community Center in 2015. He has shown exemplary dedication to the art of Shotokan karate and was a patient and devoted instructor.

Calvin was a great humanitarian; he had a strong desire to help those in need and nurture familial connections. He was the go-to handyman for his family, helped those who were sick or elderly, and maintained connections with friends both near and far. He often made trips to Virginia to help his mother, Mary Brown, and other relatives. He also volunteered with several community organizations, including 100 Black Men of America and St. Titus Episcopal Church, in which he was a member of the St. Titus Brotherhood, and served as a Senior Warden, an Usher, and on the Vestry.

In his free time, Calvin enjoyed a wide range of activities. He loved being outdoors, especially hunting, fishing, gardening, and swimming in the ocean. He spent much time looking for antiques and hidden treasures. He enjoyed planning family cookouts, especially those down by the James River. As a child, he would spend his summers running around the wilds of the Virginia countryside. He continued this tradition throughout his life and with his daughter, Jenifer Brown.

Calvin also had a love for music, specifically jazz. He first learned to play the saxophone in high school and formed an R&B band called Cosmic Force with two cousins and four neighborhood boys. Among his favorite jazz artists were John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. He maintained an extensive CD collection that he took on his road trips.

Always the people person, Calvin loved to socialize with his friends. He would take annual trips with his buddies to places like Florida and Puerto Rico. He joined a pool league and competed in amateur pool tournaments. When the weather was optimal, he joined his friends for a round of golf. Most of all, he enjoyed taking friends and family out for a simple trip to the movies.

Calvin was the most kind-hearted, loving, gentle soul whose number one mission was to help those around him. He was someone who could cheer you up with a well-timed joke and a nudge in the ribs. His infectious smile, distinct laugh, and penchant for tricks and practical jokes will be sorely missed. We hope that he is remembered for his generosity, good nature, and positive spirit. He will always be known by his mother and many others as our “Baby Boy.”

Calvin L. Brown is survived by his daughter, Jenifer Brown; mother, Mary Brown; sister, Cynthia Gladden (Dwayne Gladden); brother, James Brown Jr. (Jackie Brown); two aunts, Iris Carter and Mae Reed; four nieces, Imena de Barros, Teasa Brown, Jamie Brown, and Hannah Brown; nephew, James Brown III; favorite cousin, Valerie Carter; and a host of great-nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.