William M. Brown

William Morgan Brown, 76, of Parkersburg, passed away peacefully at home on December 28, 2020, surrounded by his family and following a courageous 3 1/2 year battle against glioblastoma.Mr. Brown was born July 5, 1944, at Clearwater, FL, the son of Hamlin L. Brown, Jr. and Mildred Rogers Brown. After graduating from Wahoo High School (Wahoo, NE) in 1962, he attended Clemson University in Clemson, SC, earning a B.S. in Industrial Engineering in 1966 and a M.S. in Engineering from Ohio University in 1969.Several years later, he would serve on the Engineering Advisory Board at Clemson. Bill was a Licensed Professional Engineer in both Wisconsin and West Virginia and served as the Engineer of Wood County for 14 years, until his declining health forced him to retire in early 2018.His career spanned over 30 years of engineering and manufacturing management.In 1999, he retired from industry and joined WVU-P as a professor of engineering technology, retiring after 17 years of service.In May, 2018, he was awarded Emeritus status by WVU-P. In 1976, Bill began genealogical researches on both his and his wife's families.His research travels to numerous libraries and historical sites took him to many states, as well as, to Germany.He authored 8 genealogical books as a result of his many years of tireless research. Bill earned the rank of Eagle Scout and was involved with the scouting program for over 20 years, both as a Scoutmaster and Post Advisor.His love of scouting encouraged both of his sons to pursue and earn the rank of Eagle Scout as well. He loved to travel, having traveled to numerous European countries, as well as, all 50 states in the United States, with Alaska being his favorite.He was planning his third trip to Alaska when struck with the brain tumor, forcing him to cancel the trip, with hopes of going at a later date.Denali National Park was his favorite destination in Alaska. He was a member of Washington United Methodist Church for over 30 years, having served on the Board of Trustees for several years. Bill is survived by his wife, Sandra McPherson Brown, whom he married on December 23, 1967; his two sons, Ronald Brown of Allentown, PA and Craig Brown of New Albany, Ohio; a sister, Martha Ainsworth of Tennessee and a brother, Robert S. Brown of New Mexico. In addition to his parents, Mr. Brown was preceded in death by an infant brother, Hamlin L. "Lynn" Brown, III. Those who knew Bill, will remember his love for his miniature schnauzers and was rarely seen without one or more of them, having as many as three at any given time. The family wishes to thank the staff at OSUMC, Dr. Nik Shah and Amedisys of Vienna for their devotion to Bill's needs. Because of the Covid virus, there will be no services at this time; he will be cremated and a memorial service will be held on a future date.Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Parkersburg or the Food Pantry at Washington United Methodist Church.The Vaughan Funeral Home is honored to assist the Brown Family with arrangements.