Morgan Brown

William Morgan Brown, age 89, of Ft. Walton Beach, FL, went to be with the Lord and receive his angel wings on Friday, May 19, 2023. Morgan was born in Crestview, FL on February 19, 1934, to William Dorace and Mertice Brown.

Morgan grew up in Crestview where he attended Crestview High School and was selected as All- Conference in football, basketball, and baseball and was chosen Most Popular. After graduating high school, he attended Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky to play basketball. After 2 years, he transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi majoring in Mathematics.  There, he met his partner in handball and his partner for life Adela. They were married in 1956 and moved to Ft. Walton Beach where they raised their three children.

Morgan had a passion to love everyone around him. He made family his priority and made sure that everyone was taken care of and loved. Morgan began working on Eglin AFB in the summer months during high school and after college, returned to take a full-time position with Vitro Services as a Film Assessment Analyst in the Mathematics Laboratory. He would spend the next 60 plus years there until his retirement in 2016 at the age of 81.  Morgan holds the record for longest employed personnel on Eglin AFB.

Along with working on base, Morgan co-owned Brown & Touchstone Well and Irrigation. He later had his own company, Brown Well Drilling, where many residents in Okaloosa County had an opportunity to have his gift of repairing their irrigation systems and lawn pumps over many years.

Morgan had many passions including his family, friends, hunting, fishing, WindCreek Casino and following The University of Florida Gator's Athletics.

He is predeceased by his parents, W.D. and Mertice Brown; wife, Adela; sister, Edna Belle Atkins; In-laws John and Mary Janus; brothers-in-law, Stanley, John, Louis, and Edmund Janus and Autis Atkins. Sister-in-law Joan Janus.

Morgan is survived by his children, Robert “Bobby" Brown (Susan), Debbie Henderson (Jimmy), and David Brown.  Grandchildren, Blair Andrews (Ben), Kelly Laycock (TJ), Dr. James "Trey" Henderson (Taylor) and Erica Burke (Brandon) and Great-granddaughters, Winnie Morgan Andrews and Brynlee Ann Burke. Morgan is also survived by brother-in-law, Dr. Gene Janus (Marcella) Gulfport, MS and sisters-in-law, Marilyn Janus, Ocean Springs, MS and Donna Janus, Gulfport MS and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Mary Catholic Church on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, with viewing at 10:00 a.m. and mass at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Beal Memorial Cemetery with Fr. Doug Halsema officiating.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary Catholic Church, St. Mary Avenue SW, Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548 or to St. Jude's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 in the memory of Morgan Brown. Expressions of love and sympathy maybe placed and viewed online at www.emeraldcoastfuneralhome.com.

A special thank you to all the wonderful family and friends and to Dr. Yuan Wan and Dr. Mauri Lunderman for their compassionate care during these past few years.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Morgan Brown, please visit our floral store.