[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 59 (Monday, April 3, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E287-E288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IN MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE MAYOR RALPH T. BROWN, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 3, 2023

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated 
father, loving son, inspiring brother, and purposeful public Servant, 
dutiful soldier, and friend of longstanding, Mayor Ralph T. Brown, Jr. 
Sadly, Mayor Brown passed from labor to reward on March 24, 2023. A 
funeral service to celebrate his remarkable life was held on Sunday, 
April 2, 2023, at the Josh Gibson Center in Buena Vista, Georgia.
  The journey of Mayor Ralph Brown began on January 10, 1960, when he 
was born to the union of Marie Fudge Brown and the late Ralph T. Brown, 
Sr. in Buena Vista, Marion County, Georgia. He was educated in the 
Marion County School System, graduating in 1977 from Tri-County High 
School. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1980 and served 
honorably as an Administrative Specialist and Recruiter.
  During his service, he received numerous awards and commendations 
including Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good 
Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officers 
Professional Development Ribbon, Advance Level, Army Service Ribbon, 
Overseas Service Ribbons, M16 Expert Qualification Badge Driver and 
Mechanic Badge, and Driver-W, U.S. Army, Gold Recruiter Badge. His duty 
stations included Ft. Knox, Kentucky, USARB Columbus, RC, and Overseas. 
He retired as Sergeant First Class with 21 years of service.
  After retiring from the Army, Mayor Brown moved back to his beloved 
Buena Vista, eager to make a difference. He quickly became involved in 
the community, ultimately being elected Mayor. Mayor Brown served the 
citizens of Buena Vista with great distinction from 2000 to 2020, 
following in the footsteps of his mother who served on the City Council 
and as Mayor Pro Tem. Mayor Brown was a consensus builder during his 
time as Mayor. He

[[Page E288]]

was always looking for common ground with his ultimate goal being the 
betterment of Buena Vista. He retired as Mayor in 2020 and passed the 
baton to his brother, Mayor Kevin Brown, continuing the family 
tradition of public service. Mayor Brown's propensity for service did 
not stop at the Mayor's Office. He was a community specialist with the 
West Central Georgia Community Action Council and a program coordinator 
with The Student Transition and Recovery Program (STAR) Program at the 
Macon County Board of Education. Mayor Brown was also a member of the 
American Legion Post 309 and the Mayor of Georgia Committee. The great 
agricultural chemist George Washington Carver once said that ``How far 
you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, 
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant 
of the weak and the strong. Because someday in your life you will have 
been all of these.'' Mayor Ralph Brown was concerned about the ``least 
of these'' during his life and made that passion his life's work.
  But more than that, he was driven by his faith. God ordered the steps 
of his life. He was a dedicated member of the Poplar Spring Baptist 
Church and a member of a weekly bible study group--(Men Talk).
  On a personal note, Mayor Brown was my friend of long standing. He 
never told me what I wanted to hear, but he always told me what he felt 
I needed to hear. I will miss his wise advice and sage counsel. Mayor 
Brown accomplished much in his life, but none of it would have been 
possible without the Grace of God and the support of his family 
including his beloved mother, Marie Fudge Brown; his children, Leisha 
Hunter; Lakisha Hunter Echols; and April Brown-Swan; and a host of 
family and friends who will miss him deeply.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife, Vivian, and me, 
along with the more than 765,000 constituents of Georgia's Second 
Congressional District in paying tribute to Mayor Ralph T. Brown, Jr. 
and in extending our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and 
loved ones during this difficult time of bereavement. Moreover, we pray 
that we will all be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith, and the 
Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead. To God be the Glory 
for the life and legacy of Mayor Ralph T. Brown, Jr.

                          ____________________