J. Brooks Brown

J. Brooks Brown, M.D. passed away January 4, 2018. He was born in Hurtsboro, AL, October 31, 1920, to Cecil G. and Martha Ann Brown.  He was predeceased by his parents; his loving and devoted wife, Helen L. Brown; brother, Cecil G. Brown, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Marilyn A. Brown.  He is survived by a son, J. Brooks Brown, Jr. of St. Augustine; a daughter Beverly Brown Terry (Timothy) of Orlando; a granddaughter Kathryn Berry Carter (John) of Memphis, TN; two grandsons, J. Brooks Brown III, of Middleburg and Jeffrey Berry (Leslie) of St. Augustine; five great grandsons, Brooks, William and Wynn Berry, Wesley and Ashton Carter; a niece, Ann Austin (David) of McKinney, TX; special adopted daughters, Regina McCary of St. Augustine, and Lisa Blom Hartvigsen of Oslo, Norway; and beloved family Executive Assistant Orpha Wiseman (Fred) of St. Augustine. FL.

A Celebration of Life will be held at St. John’s Cathedral, 256 E. Church Street, Jacksonville, FL at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 10, 2018,

Dr. Brown graduated from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and Tulane Medical School.  He is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Social Fraternity and the Phi Chi Medical Fraternity.  He was inducted into the Medical Specialized Training Program of the U.S. Army September 24, 1941.  After graduating Medical School at Tulane University, his internship began at TCI Hospital in Birmingham, AL, then the Veterans Hospital, Montgomery, AL. During this assignment, he also filled the need of a general practice for the small community of Millbrook, AL.  He was discharged from active duty as a Captain in May 1948.  Dr. Brown began medical practice as a Board Certified General Surgeon and Jacksonville’s first Certified Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon.  Dr. Brown was a member of the Duval County Medical Society, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Medical Association.  He galvanized several physicians and community leaders to develop a new not-for-profit hospital which opened in May 1969.  Dr. Brown was Chairman of the Board for Memorial Hospital Jacksonville from 1969 to 1982.

He was a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Florida through the Jacksonville Health Education Program (JHEP) teaching the senior surgical residents.

In June 1983 Dr. Brown retired from surgical practice and became Chairman, C.E.O. and President of Health South Inc.  While serving in this position, he became a Diplomat in the American Board of Medical Management which was equivalent to a Masters Degree in Health Care Management.  In 1995 Memorial was sold.  The newly built rehabilitation was retained and in 1998 the name was changed to Brooks Health System in honor of Dr. Brown’s mother, Martha Ann Brooks Brown.  Brooks Health System has continued to grow and consists of a highly regarded inpatient physical rehabilitation hospital center of excellence the only hospital of this kind in northeast Florida, a physical rehabilitation research center, numerous outpatient rehabilitation programs and Helen’s House, a hospitality unit available to out of area rehab patients and their family/caregivers.

In 1999 Dr. Brown received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of North Florida.

Dr. Brown was a voracious reader as well as an author of many medical, religious, and political articles and several medical and family history books.  He was a renaissance man who greatly contributed to the growth of Jacksonville’s medical community, University of North Florida, the St. John’s Cathedral, and enriched the lives of many individuals.

He received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Florida in 2003.

A visionary and entrepreneur and in every sense of the word working to develop cutting edge medical facilities, to develop PUDs in St. Augustine and Keystone Heights.  He contributed both financially and intellectually to the growth of UNF, the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, St. John’s Cathedral, Episcopal School, and Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center.  He worked for the common good as a servant leader, always giving credit to his associates and team members.  He is beloved by everyone who knew him.

From early childhood Dr. Brown had a passion for hunting dove, quail, duck, and geese.  In later years, these hunts were shared with his favorite hunting companion, Jeffrey Berry, his grandson.  In addition to hunting, Dr. Brown enjoyed carving and painting ducks.  He appreciated art and painted in watercolor, oil and, acrylics.

In lieu of flowers the family request that memorial donations be made to Brooks Rehabilitation, 3599 University Boulevard, South, Jacksonville, FL  32216, ATTENTION:  Tracy Svendsen.