In Memoriam
Alan died unexpectedly at home on December 23, 2009, sparing him further suffering from memory loss. He is remembered by Alix, his wife of 47 years, who was his “Rock,” his daughters Lindsay, Julie and Alison, his grandchildren Sam and Benji, his brothers Ralph, Peter and Bob, and innumerable family, friends and former students. A third-generation Vancouverite, Alan attended St. George’s School and then studied chemical engineering at UBC. He worked summers in BC’s North and Interior in lumber mills, ranches and as a surveyor. After graduation he embarked on an adventurous 3-year trip around the world, stopping to teach mathematics for 6 months in England and for a year in Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia. For an intellectual with glasses, he was also a risk-taker. He liked speed, was an excellent horseman, and was an enthusiastic parachutist who jumped with a formation skydiving club. He also had an interesting skiing style best admired from a distance. He married in 1962 and soon after received a Dip. Education from Oxford. He returned to BC to teach math and eventually head the Science Department at Shawnigan Lake School. Following fellowships at Stanford and Brown Universities he entered the Computer Science Systems Group at U of Toronto, working toward a PhD. He interrupted his studies to return to St. George’s to become the School’s fourth and youngest Headmaster, serving from 1971 to 1989. He then went on to become founding Headmaster of Southridge School, 1994 – 1999. He was the absent-minded professor at home, a quirky and loving husband and father, a quick wit with his friends, an admired public speaker, and a supportive mentor who truly cared for and challenged his students, listened to them, and led by example.
Update: The Memorial service to celebrate Alan’s life and contributions was held at St. George’s School, Vancouver, on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 1 p.m at the Senior School. It was a very moving tribute to Alan’s life, and he would have loved it. The service was led by Minister John Stephens (St. George’s, 1983) and took place in the Great Hall. The guests also filled the adjacent auditorium where the service was seen and heard on closed-circuit television. The service began with bagpiping from the Vancouver Police Pipe Band, and throughout the service songs were performed by Vancouver’s Chor Leoni Men’s Choir who sang Loch Lomond, Suo Gan (Welsh Lullaby), and Danny Boy, Alan’s favourite song. Eulogies by Alan’s family and friends will be published here later. The Brown Family would gratefully like to thank St. George’s Headmaster Nigel Toy, as well as all of the staff and students at the school, for all of their generous hard work on this beautiful and unforgettable service and reception. We would also like to thank all of the many who attended, especially those friends, colleagues and students who travelled from so far afield to be there.
Donations:
In lieu of flowers please contribute in Alan’s memory to the St. George’s School’s Madge and Alan Brown Scholarship Fund, to Southridge School’s Alan Brown Endowment Fund, or to the UBC Brain Research Centre:
St. George’s School
3851 West 29th Avenue
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6S 1T6
604-224-1304
givetosaints@stgeorges.bc.ca
Donations
Southridge School
2656 160th Street
Surrey, BC Canada V3S 0B7
Alan Brown’s History with Southridge
604-535-5056
Donations
UBC Brain Research Centre
2211 Wesbrook Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 2B5
604-82 BRAIN (604-822-7246)
Donations
Requiem
Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.
- Robert Louis Stevenson, 1880
Your memories of Alan
To sign your name and perhaps write a short goodbye to Alan, write something in the “Leave a Reply” box below (at bottom). Feel free to include memories, stories and anecdotes (whether funny or serious), historical information, or anything that you think would please, amuse or capture Alan. A simple one-word farewell is very welcome too. If you were a student of Mr. Brown’s, please tell us when you knew him and anything else you’d like to add. Comments may take a little while to appear on this page.
Update January 3, 2009: Alix and the whole extended Brown Family are so grateful for all of your many touching and funny memories of Alan.
– The Browns
December 30th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
I love the above biography regarding Alan Brown. I knew Alan as a relative, as an educator, and as a mentor.
He was instrumental in helping me get to where I am today. I was born hearing impaired, and my parents had a hard time finding a school that would be willing to have a hearing impaired student. He welcomed me into St. George’s, and kept a watchful eye on my progress so that I could be successfully fully integrated with my classmates and be treated as a peer.
He had the most amazing memory when I was a student at St. George’s , and could remember the name of every boy that was in the school and his life story. However, to the chagrin of many boys he also was an incredible bullshit detector.
He was also a man with an insatiable curiousity regarding the world around him and had an eclectic array of interests. He was a great conversationalist, and he particularly loved to slay sacred cows.
Alan really was a great man and will be missed, and I have so many great memories of him as he was one of a kind.
December 30th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Stephen – that is such a marvellous and accurate tribute to my brother Alan! You are a shining example of the positive influence Alan had on so many countless students over the years. You have captured the essence(s) of Alan perfectly. Thank you.
December 30th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I had Alan as a physics teacher some many years ago at Shawnigan Lake School. I have vivid memories of Alan walking down to the Craig Block, hands in his pockets, slightly stooped over, and trailed by his faithful labrador. We took great joy in watching Alan, knowing he was deep in thought, make his way down to the classroom. It was only a matter of time before he tripped. He never let us down.
Although I did see Alan as Headmaster at St.Georges for many years after leaving Shawnigan his parting words to me as a physics student were “Hall, I’ll pass you in Physics 11 if you promise never to take Physics again.” Great advice!
December 31st, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Comments received December 31, 2009:
Our condolences to you, Alix, and the family – our son, son-in-law and three grandsons benefited from Alan’s great contribution to St. George’s!
~ Jean and Walter Badun
Dear Alix – It is to Alan that I owe nearly 22 years of happiness at St. George’s; he hired me and, amazingly, kept me on even when I am sure he was receiving complaints about me. I am glad he’s out of the fog which must have been so frustrating for him; I miss him. Love, as ever, Dougal
~ Dougal Fraser, Victoria, British Columbia
Dear Alix and Family~
I have been lucky enough to know Alan since I was 11. His interest in and the kindness he bestowed on young people left a lasting impression on me.
He also was a wonderful mentor; he taught me the ropes of fundraising. To this day, I can hear him saying, “Never presume to assume someone else’s worth!” “No gift is too small.” “Every gift makes a difference!” His legacy to me is I do follow that advice as I continue to fundraise in our community.
~ Jane ( Andrews) Manning,
South Surrey, British Columbia
Dear Alix and family: Our thoughts are with you at this sad time. Please accept our deepest sympathies.
~ Diane and Mike Kalin
December 31st, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Alan Brown was one of the most remarkable and witty people I have known in my life. It is a privilege for me to be able to look back and celebrate his life.
Alan was such a fabulous friend, neighbour, husband, father, mentor, teacher, speech-maker, jokester and, well, the list could just go on for pages. Lauch and I and our children Donald, Marshall and Keirstead were so fortunate to live directly across the street from the Brown’s on Laurier Avenue for 16 years. Alix and I met in Victoria at St Margaret’s School and Lauch and Alan were family friends from birth. So here we were across the street for the most formative years of our children’s lives and when you added in the Mackay, Giles, McGavin, McGraw, Bell, and Owen families … there were plenty of children for street hockey, backyard concerts, kitchen musicals, Halloween shenanigans and impromptu neighbourhood get-togethers. I always saw Alan as the “Grand Master” of all of this.
The back and forth of conversations and pranks between Alan and Jack Giles was a thing to behold. I hope someone records and publishes all of those very funny and intense episodes! I still can’t figure out how Alan was able to strap the Giles’ gas lawnmower upside-down to the rafters of the Giles basement ceiling and start it up at the crack of dawn one morning, in retaliation for Jack being too noisy the evening before out in his driveway right under Alan and Alix’s bedroom window. The more Alan complained …the noisier Jack became. The morning’s lawnmower episode must have had Alan plotting all night – to great success. It shook the whole house and filled it with smoke and the most horrible sounds until it sputtered and conked out! I recall that Jack was not pleased!
I suppose because he was the “Headmaster”, and most all of the boys went to St. George’s, he had an authority that was a given. He was good at directing and organizing everyone. He never brought the school home with him – I remember once when he was on the prowl at school over Donald’s hair length. He knew it was too long from seeing it at home but would say to him “you’re safe at home but I’ll catch you at school.”
One my favorite memories is of Alan’s habit of walking across the street in his pajamas for a nightcap…either because he just wondered who was at our home for a dinner he was not invited to – or because he couldn’t sleep and decided to keep us up too!
I am grateful to have counted Alan as a good friend and to have had him and his family as a big part of my family’s life.
December 31st, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I have so many happy memories of Alan from our early years at Southridge together. Whether he was quizzing me on whether the moon was waxing or waning, or rolling around on the floor in his chicken suit with the kindergarten students, Alan was always engaging. I miss the Christmas Feast with Alan. Toasting with the Board Members ahead of time, he acknowledged our hard work each year and he always encouraged a staff skit or some crazy costumed song. Dressing up as a pig and singing, “Mud, mud, glorious mud” was definitely one I am unlikely to repeat without him beside me.
A visionary leader, Alan was always ready for great ideas from any source. Building a school and its culture from scratch with Alan was an exciting adventure. As a mentor for moral stewardship, Alan was out of his office in the halls, on the soccer pitch and walking side by side with students to model that teaching character is not just a lecture series, but daily lessons in respect, truth, service and integrity. Sifting through applications now, I remember Alan telling me he would assess potential teachers with the underlying question, “Would I want to go into battle with this person?” When truth was on their side, Alan fought for his staff and his students with passion and determination.
I remember Alan frequently speaking about how well he married and how lucky he was to be with you, Alix. I was pregnant at the same time as your daughter and had my first child very close to the time your grandson, Sam, arrived. I remember Alan watching me expand and regularly expressing his excitement about becoming a grandparent. After asking for hints as to what would be the ideal gift for his grandson’s first Christmas, I’m not sure if he ever picked up the recommended Exersaucer, but I know he was extremely joyful in the pursuit. He always spoke of his family with such love and respect, as well as your kind forbearance of his self-proclaimed list of shortcomings.
I would like to thank you and your family so much for the time we had with Alan at Southridge. He made such an incredible difference in my life and continues to do so with the mentorship and exceptional role model for leadership he generously provided.
Lynne Porpaczy
December 31st, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I remember ACMB at assembly, wondering how his car had been “borrowed” and brought inside the auditorium. I recall seeing the barnyard in his office. I recall the “pack of wolves” lecture on the perils of smoking. I remember the cast of our play being welcome at his house for a party. I remember his understanding when I left the school (twice) and wanted to return (twice). I was amazed at how, years later, he could remember my name and details of my broken arm (thanks again loose ruck circa 1983). A few of us were lucky enough to see him out at dinner with his family a few years ago to thank him for the strong impression he had made on our lives. A kind, firm, gentle man. Many of us will miss him. Warm regards to his family – he is in our prayers.
December 31st, 2009 at 6:48 pm
the obit above captures alan’s spirit perfectly. and i’m sure alan’s spirit will live forever in so many different ways: he touched so many people.
my thoughts are with you, the family, who will miss him most of all.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:35 pm
As part of the 1972 Grade 12 graduating class that ‘broke in’ Alan Brown in his first year as Headmaster at St. Georges (after many wonderful years of Douglas Harker) – we were probably a touch hard in our judgement at that time. The subsequent years of growth and diversity under Alan Brown’s leadership proved that Alan was indeed a visionary and a remarkable influence on the school leaving it VERY much for the better!. The Cowan’s heartfelt thanks and support go out to the family.
Blake (72), Sebastian (04) and Alexander (05) Cowan
December 31st, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I entered the junior school during Alan’s last year as headmaster. Sadly, I never did meet him. However, without his leadership and guidance in the years preceding, my family would not have known of the school and its reputation and sent me there for what has been a very rewarding experience. Thank you Alan!
December 31st, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Alan (or Mr. Brown, as I still think of him) was my headmaster when I was at Saints from 80 to 86. I’m fairly sure he thought I didn’t like him, but in fact I both liked and respected him and remember him fondly for helping me out on more than one occasion and for listening kindly to me when I was, I must admit, a rather unpleasant teenager.
My kindest thoughts go to his loved ones, and, if there is an afterlife, to him. I expect he will find a fond welcome there.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I just missed Alan’s time at Shawnigan. He arrived, the bright new star of the science department, as I departed, a jaded veteran of the caning wars. Ironically, (perhaps inevitably) I fetched up at St George’s, which at the time affected a raffish, dog-eared quality which suited the likes of me but which a more demanding presence such as Alan would shake up and transform into a jewel some years later.
In spite of our divergent paths, however, enough of my time at Shawnigan survived in memory there to inform him of a certain notoriety I had achieved, and whenever we would encounter one another he would take great delight in reminding me of my “astounding exploits” that apparently had much amused him.
He had a gift of kindness in his tone and a warm and humorous manner, which made these reminiscences a lot of fun and, truth to tell, I was vain enough to feel quite flattered that a man of his stature would consider my wretched school-boy antics at all interesting.
What struck me at the time though was that Alan Brown was not a snob; he was keen about all sorts of things and it was easy to see how his passion and openness would so readily translate to mentorship – particularly to young people under his care.
But the thing I remember most vividly was his remarkable oratory. He was superb. I was reminded of this at his father’s funeral, but most especially at the memorial to his old dear school-hood friend, Thor Young. He had a quality in his voice which was soft in tone but penetrated to the back of the room and he spoke simply, but with great conviction and clarity. I’d known Thor well; I had weekly-boarded at his small house on part of what passed for a campus on 29th avenue, and I was riveted and moved at Alan’s profound but simple tribute. He had been a great friend and consolation to Thor and his wife in their final days, and he delivered the eulogy with grace and style.
I last saw Alan at the memorial to Tony Parker-Jervis and his affliction was much in eveidence. Nevertheless, he made utterances, once more, about my Shawnigan adventures and I was flattered yet again.
My sincere condolences to my dear friend Bob, and all the Brown family.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Dear Alix and family, I agree fully with Stephen O’Keefe regarding his comments on Alan. He was a man of integrity and foresight and his ability to remember every boy’s name still astounds me. Coming from Hong Kong and being a border at the Junior School, under his wings, there is this sense of security, knowing that whatever happens, “My School” and most importantly Alan would look out for my best interest.
Alan not only treated the overseas students like any other students – he would make us feel welcome and at home. I remember having dinner at your house on a couple of occasions. I also remember many parties that Julie had which I attended.
On a more academic level, thanks to St. Georges and Alan, I later emigrated to Australia with my parents and studied Medicine and am now practicing as a Family Physician in Hobart, Tasmania.
I am sure that we will all miss him. My most sincere condolences to you Alix and your family at this very difficult time.
“Happy may we meet, happy may we part, happy may we meet again”
December 31st, 2009 at 10:16 pm
My time at St. George’s (from September ’87 to June ’93) saw the end of Alan’s years as Headmaster, but certainly not the end of his influence. His stature — both literally and figuratively! — was significant and he was a frequent presence at events both formal and casual in the years following his departure from the office. I left Vancouver after finishing Grade 12, but I’ve noted on more than one occasion that anecdotal reports about any number of events and capital-O-Occasions around town often featured mentions of Mr. Brown and his remarkable memories of his students and their (mis)adventures on 29th Ave. His dedication to the school was laudable and set a fine example of what it meant to be an Old Boy and friend of St. George’s. My thoughts go out to the family and I hope the memories gathered on this page inspire heartfelt smiles and paint as acute a picture of Alan as he could no doubt do about many of us!
December 31st, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Alix and family,
Sincere condolences from the Norris family.
Alan was always patient with the ‘Noisy Norris Boys’ who were neighbours of the Browns on Pine Crescent in the 50s.
Then we were proud to call him headmaster of the school from which Jim (’66) and I (’64) graduated. Alan truly did bring a new spirit to the school and I know that our family, including our father (H.B. / Harry) who was a governor for many years, was appreciative of his tenacity and commitment to excellence in everything for which the school stood.
It is clear that the principles, values and mission that live on in the school and its graduates today were instilled because of the desire of men like Alan Brown to see young boys grow into men of commitment and purpose – to be leaders in all aspects of life. Men who seek success but do not define success by simple acheivements.
My prayers go with you all.
Bill Norris
December 31st, 2009 at 10:47 pm
I had the good privilege of being a student under Alan Brown for more than half of his 18-year tenure at St. George’s School. Throughout that time he led by example with passion, commitment, vision and integrity. He knew every boy in his charge and would greet each of us by name or pay us 25 cents (but I don’t recall many payouts). Alan’s mathematical and computing brilliance also never ceased to impress me. I’m not sure whether creating the school’s computer software or mathematically solving the Rubik’s Cube was more difficult but the latter seemed more important to a 14 year-old. Alan’s detective skills were second to none. He seemed to know more about the goings-on of the students than we knew ourselves. He acted as detective, judge and jury in all cases and seemed surprisingly accurate in his findings – though the consequences sometimes seemed overly harsh. Alan had a strong vision for the School and was not afraid to pursue its realization. Despite his firm leadership style, Alan usually had time for fun and humour and was willing to join us rappelling at Strathcona Park Lodge, on the stage for the House Supper or in various wing sports events. I do, however, recall him not being very impressed when he crested the hill at West King Edward and Dunbar to find his office carefully arranged in the middle of the boulevard or to later discover a farmyard of chickens in his emptied office space. Alan instilled in me many of the values that I deeply cherish and rooted an affection and commitment to the St. George’s School community. As a current staff member I still see Alan’s fingerprints in most corners of the School and know that his impact on young men continued long after his retirement and will live well into the future. My heart goes out to Alix and the entire family during this difficult time.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:40 pm
I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to the Brown family. I am not a well known or widely remembered Old Boy, but one of my first memories of Saints was meeting Mr. Brown at the main entrance of the Old Boarding school and being welcomed personally to Saints. Never before had I been greeted personally by a teacher or headmaster at any of the 11 schools I had attended prior to arriving at St. George’s. It marked the beginning of an incredible three year journey through the halls of Saints, the memories of which I fondly embrace.
Mr. Brown and I only occasionally crossed paths at that same personal level. I mostly remember him wandering about, head down, thinking or ruminating, with a cup of coffee I was convinced was welded to his hand. Yes, he did bestow upon me “6 of the best”, but I bear no grudge. The thinking of the day about such matters was different. I only hope that is not what he would have remembered about me. I suspect not.
Again, please accept my condolences for your loss. My memory of Saints is very much linked to that of Mr. Brown’s presence there. It was an interesting time those years between 1973 to 1976, and I am glad to have met Mr. Brown at that door step.
R.G. Tinkess, ’76
January 1st, 2010 at 1:22 am
It is a sad time, we all mourn the loss of Alan as a headmaster, a teacher, a guide, a leader and a friend. My sincere condolences to the family.
As a Saints student who moved from the Junior school under Mr. Blackmore, to the Senior school with Alan Brown as Headmaster I can say he made the high school years engaging and enlightening. There are many memories of Alan, and as I write this the 1984 Grad book is open on my desk – with a picture of him in silly wide glasses.
It was an honour to know Alan, and the family during my student years, and a real sadness we must now offer a goodbye, with a Thank You: for not suspending me when I refused to cross a teacher’s picket line at the school gates (then again the 1500 word essay on political engagement you demanded as you drove me home was an education), for the ‘talks’ in the office on mature responsibility, for encouraging me (and many other students) to engage in theatre, the outdoors, and bringing our interests into the school.
Saints matured under Alan’s guidance, and we matured with his leadership and understanding.
January 1st, 2010 at 4:28 am
Alan Brown made St. George’s a school that encouraged critical thinking and dissent, transforming it from a school for Old Boys to an academic powerhouse. In my two and a half years there, ACMB invariably gave me a wink as he passed me in the hallways, to let me know that it was okay to be a nerd, and egged a few of us on to question authority in our underground school newspaper.
Most of all, he cared, but managed to perfect a zen-like calm in the midst of adolescent pandaemonium that daily beset four hundred boys.
January 1st, 2010 at 5:41 am
My time at Saints was shorter than that of some others who have commented here, but it was profoundly formative and life-changing nonetheless. Alan never taught me and we had limited personal dealings either during or after my time there. My memories are thus largely generic ones of Assembly admonitions offering ample fodder for merciless teasing and pranking among his audience; disciplinary hearings after pre-graduation nocturnal high-jinks; his early-adopter’s enthusiasm for the school’s sole, screenless, paper-spouting, Volkswagen-sized computer; and perhaps above all his previously mentioned perambulations up and down the halls, eyes on the floor and coffee mug strapped to his fist, keeping personally informed tabs on every boy in the school. He certainly seemed in his quiet passion to embody “Sine Timore Aut Favore”. But what made the biggest difference to my life is that he was willing to take a gamble on a pimply, clueless child from another part of the world, thereby facilitating for me a spectacular experience that transformed my personal development and imbued intellectual and cultural values I treasure to this day. Way beyond any innate merits and certainly any teenage imaginations, I went on to stumble into an astonishingly privileged career in academia, eventually washing up as a professor first at Cambridge and now at Oxford. More than Alan will have ever known, I owe a very great deal of that to my brief but transformative time under his headmastership at Saints, and to the staff he led. Grateful prayers for him and his family at this time of loss.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:33 am
A very sad loss, and far too soon. I agree with a previous poster – the memory will always be of “Mr. Brown”, that warm, funny, in-charge and yet completely approachable gentleman who left such an indelible imprint on his students. How many other headmasters could have inspired a legion of teenaged boys to proudly wear “My Pal Al” t-shirts following the announcement of his retirement? Truly one of a kind. Sincerest condolences.
January 1st, 2010 at 12:15 pm
I owe so much of what I am today to the efforts of the teaching staff at St. George’s. They, in turn, were–and continue to be–a testament to the leadership and organizational efforts of Mr. Brown (I, too, find it difficult to think of him without the honorific, “Mr.”). He commanded respect, but returned it manifold. I am honored to regard him as an influence.
January 1st, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Comments received on January 1st, 2010:
I will not forget Alan’s kindness to me during my awkward years at St. George’s. Even when he was forced to cane me (only once, mind you!), he was trying his best to make me a better student, and to grow up.
My fondest recollection of him is recalling the look on his face, when after he asked me during a class whom I would prefer teach me the subject, himself or Anthony Parker-Jervis, I offered “correspondence” as a third option. With a stern face, but twinkling eyes, he asked for an apology, which, chastened, I immediately gave.
I am greatly saddened to hear of his death, and send my sympathy to his family and friends. Thank you for posting the photographs of him, I greatly appreciated seeing them.
Love to all,
Terry Greenaway, class of 1978.
Alix and family,
My son and I were deeply saddened to learn of Alan’s passing. He was a rare individual whose legacy has many aspects, but the most enduring – his determination, his commitment, his integrity and humanity. Alan’s vision and his tireless devotion to the pursuit of that vision, supported by the founding Board, created Southridge School. What I witnessed and experienced in his years at the school was a man who lived a life of unambiguous integrity with a strong commitment and dedication to excellence. He helped many to see that the way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. I am grateful Connor experienced his leadership. He helped my son and so many others really look at themselves and look at one another. The world has lost a truly remarkable man and he will be missed. “A teacher affects eternity – he can never tell where his influence stops.”
Stacey Holloway, Surrey, British Columbia
January 1st, 2010 at 5:01 pm
I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Brown in person, but I am certainly grateful for his monumental contribution to the Southridge community – a community that lives with his values in mind, and a community that has truly shaped my life.
My relationship to Mr. Brown was always indirect, made through the words of someone else who had spent time with him at some point, but those words always (and I mean always) displayed a sense of respect and admiration for Mr. Brown.
-Aquil Virani (Southridge ’08)
January 1st, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I am deeply grateful to Alan for both his stewardship of St. George’s and for the direct and profound influence he had on my life. The institution he built during his nearly two decades at Saints gave me and thousands of others a foundation on which we could build a good life with meaning and purpose. The lessons I learned directly from him and his example have stayed with me and shaped my choices in the 20+ years I have been gone from Saints.
January 1st, 2010 at 5:33 pm
I worked for Alan at two schools: St. George’s and Southridge, both of which he invested with his intense intelligence and vision. As a young woman in the very male environment of St. George’s, I appreciated Alan’s chivalry. He expected hard work from his teachers but was surprised to find me in my subterranean French department classroom (a point which I continually drove home to Alan; the Math classrooms were all upstairs, as I recall!) at about 9:00 one night and admonished me for working so late. Alan was complex and the object of much amateur psychologising by the St. George’s staff on Friday afternoons at the Cheshire Cheese on Dunbar. He was at once a traditionalist (rugby shirts should be tucked in) and very contemporary (St. George’s should be coed). He had a remarkable grasp of history and valued the manly traits of courage and comradeship; he also understood technology and its promise. While his computer and mathematical brilliance, his exceptional public speaking ability and his commitment to scholarship were very central to him as an educator, what I will most remember and cherish about Alan as a person was his sense of humour. What he liked about me, mostly, I think (and Alan either liked a person or did not!), were my parents, whom he knew socially a little. I once went to Alan for some advice about my career and it was honest, insightful and helpful. For this and for much else I will always be grateful to Alan.
January 1st, 2010 at 5:50 pm
All us have a collection of memories of Alan as our Headmaster. I am sure he had many regarding the class of ’85. One snowy day back when I was in grade eight my brother decided we needed to leave early and head back to our home in Richmond. Alan figured out we had left and managed to track us down. My mother answered the phone and explained that were out on our neighbors’ snowmobiles having a great time. Guess where I was next Saturday. As students we often don’t get the opportunity to see our authority figures beyond their position in a structured environment. I first had the chance to get to know Alan when returning from Strathcona. I had to come back early and Alan went back with me. An unusual circumstance to have several hours in discussion. On the trip back some students in a bus coming in the opposite direction threw a water balloon at our bus which blew out the front window. We were traveling at full speed. I have many times looked back on this situation which could have been a disaster. I remember how calm Alan was as he helped assist in the situation. After we were eventually transferred to another bus we talked about the science of how a water balloon could cause so much damage. He turned it into an educational experience instead of anger towards the students responsible. After graduating 1985 we all moved on with our lives. In 2001 Alan came in to my office for an eye exam. He made regular visits over the years and I enjoyed the conversations and relationship that developed. He talked about the worldly adventures he and Alix were making each year. In recent years Alan was very aware of his challenging heath issues. He was always upfront and seemed to convey a calm acceptance of his predicament. Alix I admire your insight and courage to take Alan on those special trips. I know Alan truly enjoyed himself. He was a very lucky man to have such a strong woman there with him. My sincerest sincerest sympathy to you and your family. I am glad to have met Alan.
Sincerely, Peter Renke
January 1st, 2010 at 6:32 pm
When Alan and Alix invited us out to dinner shortly after I began dating Alan’s youngest brother, Bob, I was nervous about meeting “The Headmaster” whom I had heard so much about. I soon relaxed once I saw the warmth and unmistakable kindness in his steady gaze. Although I met Alan only a few times, it was clear to me why Bob held him in such high esteem. My hearfelt condolences to Alix and the entire Brown family.
Sincerely, Joan Hopper
January 1st, 2010 at 10:54 pm
I haven’t seen Mr. Brown for many years now, but forever and a day he will be a fixture in my early years at Southridge. He was always a kind guiding light for the many times I ended up in his office and I will always remember him fondly. He did what he loved and we all love him for it.
–Kit Korzan, Southridge ’03
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:32 am
To Alix and family, sincere condolences from my family.
Alan was the Headmaster who, through visionary leadership and high standards of teaching, raised St. George’s to new levels of academic excellence. As Captain B.O. Robinson once said, “Put it Higher!” That’s what Alan did for St. George’s, in a huge way!
His extraordinary gifts of intelligence, public speaking, charm and wit were to benefit thousands of students during his long career as a teacher and Headmaster.
It was a privilege to have known him for so many years and to have shared some very memorable times together. From river rafting down the Klamath river to visiting a sick friend together, Alan’s sense of humour was always evident.
Almost one year ago, he and I visited another Georgian, Gordan Thorlakssen, who was dying of cancer. When Alan and I arrived on the scene, there were several nurses and an ambulance crew ready to transport Gordon to St. Paul’s hospital. Gordon insisted that all present listen to him as he introduced Alan: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I want you to meet my Headmaster, Alan Brown!” Since Alan and Gordon played rugby together, it sounded a bit odd, but Alan just replied “Well, I want you to know that I have since retired!”
Indeed, he has, but much too soon!
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:30 am
To Alix and family,
My sincere condolences to you all. Although Alan had been in declining health for several years, the end must have been such a shock to you all.
I have only fond memories of Alan, who hired me to fill in for a few weeks in 1989 (weeks that have now stretched to years.) Although our time at St. George’s together overlapped for only a few months, his encouragement and humour made a deep impression. I was touched that he remembered my son, who had just completed Grade 8 when Alan left St. George’s. For Alan made the effort to know the name of every boy – no small accomplishment.
Alan will be remembered not only for his larger than life personality but more importantly for his dedication to educating young men. He will be missed.
Carol van Rijn
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Comments received January 2, 2010
Dear Alix
Ted and I are so very sorry to hear of Alan’s passing, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Blessings – Ted and Deanna
~ Deanna Turton, Palm Desert, California
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:28 am
Dear Alix,
How very sad to see of Alan’s passing but what wonderful tributes I’ve read above.
My memories of Alan come from earlier times, the 40’s & 50’s when families got together at special times. Boxing Day at the Brown’s house was special. All ages & stages gathered – the 4 Brown boys very much in attendance and Madge & Ralph the gracious hosts. Also Easter at Harrison Hot Springs when again families gathered for various activities and antics, some of which were not approved by parents or hotel staff!
Then there was Alan through the Saints & CHS days, dances…. fun, often mischievious & altogether good company. Early days, long gone, but good times were had.
It is wonderful to read of Alan’s outstanding accomplisments. I’m sure you Alix had a significant supporting role in his many successes along the way.
Ned & I send our sympathy and love to you Alix, and to your girls and their families.
Sue Macaulay, Toronto ON
January 3rd, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I worked as Alan’s secretary for nine years. The first year was the hardest, but as soon as I worked out that Alan wanted the very best effort put into every task, the days became infinitely easier and we became, I like to think, a good team. Alan taught me many things about efficiency, not the least learning to use a computer, and I will always be grateful to him for his patience, understanding, support and confidence. His training stood me in very good stead for my subsequent employment. Even though we had lost touch I still remember him very fondly and always will. My sincere sympathies, Alix.
[Editorial reply: Christine! You are too humble. You were one of the main reasons Alan knew where and when he had to be, all those years! Thank you for everything you did for him. – The Brown Family.]
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:04 pm
I will always remember Alan as a dear friend with a wonderfully inquisitive and visionary mind, a caring and compassionate heart, and a body full of energy that was always ready to take on the next challenge.
Having known Alan as a good friend for nearly 50 years and having the privilege of working closely with him in the mid 1970’s, when he was Headmaster of St. Georges School and I was Chairman, I became very aware of the multifaceted gifts that he had, particularly his vision for the future of the School.
It was during these years that the present Junior School property was purchased; the first computer science lab was established in which Alan himself undertook to be the first teacher; the first major fund raising involving parents, alumnae and friends of the School to build the Woodward Auditorium and the Southam Lounge: the undertaking and accomplishment of raising the teachers’ salaries from the then existing 60% level to the level of the Vancouver School Board and so many other achievements. However, most important was his determination to make St. Georges the finest private boy’s school in Canada, not only in academics, music, arts and sports but also in the spirit and feeling of camaraderie that he was so much a part of.
Part of Alan’s loveable and human side was his glasses, which more often than not, were in need of a good cleaning. This was remarkably out of keeping with the rest of his appearance. Occasionally when we were deeply involved in a discussion or a friendly disagreement, I would lean over, remove his glasses, clean them and return them with a comment “perhaps now you will see my point of view more clearly”! This always evoked a witty response from him. When I recall all the moments that we shared together, it is his wit, compassion, and his friendship that I will remember the most.
Gail’s memories of Alan span a lifetime as she recalls the Brown and the Laidlaw family and all their mutually close friends. She remembers with fond memories all the parties and dances that were held in the Brown home. We have experienced many wonderful times with Alix and Alan, and we grieve with her and the whole family as they go through the painful loss of someone as loved and vibrant as Alan.
We have all lost a remarkable friend, but we are blessed with memories that will last forever.
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:26 pm
My son, Andrew, (almost ’88) entered St. George’s in Grade 8 as a full-time boarder, following in the footsteps of his older brother, while his father and I were overseas. The boys both loved St. George’s from ‘Day One’ and I felt secure in the knowledge that they were receiving an excellent education and guidance in a caring and loving environment. Upon my return to Canda, my contacts with Alan Brown were minimal over the years, though what stands out in my mind was his wonderful quick wit, his amazing sense of humour, his outstanding oratory, and his devotion to the school and its boys. Unfortunately, at the beginning of my son’s graduation year, a very naughty and highly publicized prank , involving the McLeary Golf Course, occurred. After much deliberation, parental meetings and thoughtful consideration, Alan Brown decided that he had to expel my son and another boy. It was a difficult lesson for my son but no doubt character-building. Naturally I was devastated and angry and so heartbroken for my son who would not graduate with his peers. However, he transferred to the local high school, made the best of the situation, and graduated that year. Several years later, he enrolled at university and graduated with a B.Ed. from U.B.C., followed up a a Masters Degree. As full-time teaching positions in Vancouver were scarce at that time, he decided to take a job with a First Nations Band in Merritt, B.C., where his duties included, among other things, teaching swimming and carpentry, and even driving the school bus! Toward the end of his year there, I happened to see an ad in the newspaper for a position as teacher at Southridge School under Alan Brown. I forwarded this on to my son and said that if he was interested, he should inject a little humour into his aplication letter. The irony, and what reveals the stature of Mr. Brown, is that Alan hired him and my son remained teaching at Southridge until last year. Unfortunately, Alan was retiring the year my son started at Southridge but he did keep in contact over the years to follow up on my son. Alan was an incredible and inspiring leader who was forced to make difficult decisions, but I believe he always had the welfare of his boys and his schools in the forefront. My condolences to the family. Rest in peace Alan.
Scottist poet, Thomas Campbell: “To remain in the hearts of those you’ve left behind, is not to die!”
Rhona Kelly,
Roberts Creek, B.C.
January 4th, 2010 at 10:25 am
My sincere condolences to the Brown Family on the passing of Alan. While this must be a time of great grief, I hope that grief will be tempered by the knowledge of how many lives Alan touched during his life.
I was one of those lives. Alan taught me Math in Grade 12, something I have been grateful for, ever since. But not, perhaps, for the reason you might think. You see, I was and always have been terrible at Math (John Blackmore told me in my first year at Saints in Grade 7 that as far as math was concerned, I had a memory like a “sieve”). So the prospect of ending up in PJ’s math class in Grade 12, where wrong answers typically triggered whacks on the head with a yardstick, filled me with nothing short of great fear. But, to my everlasting relief, Alan didn’t whack you with big sticks (well, at least, not for getting the wrong math answer). Instead, had patience. And he had sympathy. And that sympathy for a math dunce made a difference in my life. Alan Brown will forever have a place of gratitude in my heart for actually giving me a “P” in Math 12. But he agreed to give it only on the express condition that I agree never to take another Math class as long as I live.
Well, Alan, wherever you may be now, please know that I gratefully and faithfully continue to adhere to that condition. And three university degrees later (none of which involved any math of any kind)…it has served me well. And please know that my 3 children do not seem to have inherited the same disability that I suffer from so severely. But I only hope that they have the same good fortune to encounter a teacher during their lives that shows the compassion and guidance that you did for me during my time at Saints. Thank you for making a difference in my life, and God Bless.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I was privileged to get to know Alan Brown in two different guises, and to benefit from his humour, his breadth of interest, his wisdom, and his generosity of spirit. In the first case, I was a student at Saints 26 years his junior. He and I in many respects grew up in different worlds. As Headmaster, “Mr. Brown” was firm but fair, and struck me as very much suited to his job. I recall little things, like pulling me aside to let me know that I had just rudely walked in between two adult visitors and he on a tour of the school. I also remember him being the first to notice (ahead of even myself) that it was perhaps time for a shave in Grade 11. Again… “firm but fair”! Most of all I recall two things in particular about Mr. Brown as Headmaster: one particular assembly where he inveighed upon us all to recognize that each and every person present had positive contirbutions to make (which I at the time doubted); and several occasions where he sat down with me one-on-one to offer whatever advice or material help he could provide when I was going through some significant personal difficulties.
The second Alan Brown I came to know was as the father of my close friend Lindsay. I found that Alan made the transition from more formal adult/student relationship to informal “peers” much more smoothly than I. In fact, it took me years to learn to call him “Alan” instead of “Mr. Brown”. Nevertheless, while I saw less of the “firm but fair” side, I saw ever more of the humour, wisdom and generosity of spirit. I felt welcomed in his and Alix Brown’s home, and it was my experience that that welcome was open to almost everyone who came through the front door. His willingness to engage me as an equal (or so it seemed) and discuss the news, his current interest or mine showed me much of what I would later value in my own relationships. His and Alix’s comfortable rapport and hospitality have always been fondly remembered and cherished.
Havng been first one of his students, and second one of his daughter’s friends, it took me sometime to recognize that I valued and gained a great deal from Alan’s relationship to me as simply a person. We certainly didn’t always see issues from the same perspective, but I very much respected his, and I came to feel that he respected everyone else’s, more or less. I have never forgotten Alan Brown’s kindness or words of wisdom, even if I rejected them at the time. And to me, there’s no greater testament than that to his particular brand of genius–the ability to see goodness and strength in everyone, and the desire to cultivate it. I have subsequently found those characteristics to be both exceedingly rare and so important!
My deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends. He will be missed.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
St. George’s school was suffering some break-ins around 1982. Apparently Mr. Brown was stalking the halls late one evening trying to solve the case. I was a boarder who returned at night to the senior school to retrieve books from my locker for homework. I found an open door, but in my hesitation to enter the dark interior, I must have opened and closed the mechanism and door a few times, all which sounded to him like I was working over the lock.
After I finally entered, I was confronted by a tall, authoritative figure, with a demanding tone at the top of a flight of unilluminated stairs who forcefully dismissed my first reflexive plea of innocence. But it didn’t take long for him to establish that I was an unarmed grade eight student, and to scrutinize the undamaged lock. With his suspicions allayed, he drove me back to the boarding house afterward, and we got along fine after that. I never told anyone about the humbling experience, but I felt more assured that things were being taken care of around the school.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Although I left Saints in Grade 11 (1979), I have fond memories of Mr. Brown from my years in Senior School. Although I was a royal pain in the ass and loved to play the class clown – and I did come across his cane from time to time – he was there to help me when I needed it. I had some trouble at home and was made a temporary ward of the state in Grade 10, Mr. Brown organized for Mr. Stancombe to put me up at his house for a while and even drove me to my court hearing dates at the family court. He was a good listener and always gave good and sage advice, which as I get older I appreciate more and more. He was a strict guy, but he had a genuine interest in his students and was really an old softy at heart. I really appreciate all that he did for me and I am sad to hear of his passing.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
It is with the fondest memories of Alan that I express my deep regrets at his passing and my gratitude that I was able to visit him on December 22nd. As always he was gracious and interested in another’s life and family while he himself was dealing with a slow and debilitating reality. To the end a remarkable human being.
I met Alan at 15 years of age and was impressed and somewhat dismayed that he had this incredilble ability to recall every student’s name and something about their interests and participation in the school’s many pursuits. This skill did not allow a student to fly below his radar, and I learned later in life how this influenced one’s view on being accountable. Alan had many qualities that served his students well in becoming more than perhaps they would have, given a different environment to grow up in.
Alan was a true mentor in my life and I was fortunate enough in time to add friend and business partner to our relationship. His constant support and encouragement as well as good humour made for many enjoyable conversations about life in general from which I greatly benefitted.
I think all of us who knew Alan are finding out from each other’s comments many aspects of the man that we were unaware, and realize how much of an impact he had on so many people. It is said that we are measured by the positive impact we have had in our time alive, and it is safe to say Alan has left an enormous impact. We all should celebrate a life well lived when we remember Alan C. M. Brown.
January 4th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
I was dismayed and deeply saddened to hear about Alan’s death, although we have not spoken to each other in about 20 years. In the early ’80’s, I was a young Headmaster at Trinity College School in Ontario and I would meet Alan at CAIS Heads’ Conferences once a year. He was very tolerant and forgiving of me, and I received so much from him, not the least of which was the imperative to learn the names of all your students (which I’ve tried to do). I felt Alan was the quintessential Head of School – bright, scholarly, but with a real human touch and a wonderful sense of perspective. He knew what was important in education. I wish I had told him what a powerful mentor he had been for me.
Bless you Alan Brown and thank you Alan Brown, not only for transforming St. Georges and founding Southridge, but for the very personal and profound effect you had on me.
Rodger Wright
Headmaster Collingwood School, West Vancouver,
January 4th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
We would like to express our very sincere condolences to Alix and her family. We were saddened to learn of Alan’s sudden death before Christmas. We have good memories of Alan as Headmaster for our two St George’s students in 1981-87 when his detailed knowledge of his students and his perceptiveness about their individual personalities impressed us. His maintenance of high standards of behaviour and deportment in his students was a welcome support for parents with similar goals.
Later his sense of humour and his wit made him a welcome guest at several pre-Christmas open houses we hosted in the 1990s and also at one wedding. When we last saw him about a year ago we were aware of his illness but found him, in a casual visit, much as he had been, sociable and witty, though clearly more frail. It is some compensation that he has been spared a protracted period of otherwise inevitable decline.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:36 am
Reading through many of these tributes, it’s evident what a profound effect Alan had on so many lives… and not just collectively for all the thousands of students over the years, but also on an individual basis. He touched so many lives in so many different ways.
I’m grateful for being at Saints when it was under his charge.
I’m grateful for the weekly one-on-one time I spent with him, when he’d take 30 minutes of his lunch hour to tutor me in computer science, dealing with ever-increasingly complex algorithms. He was the only one around who knew anything about the subject, and he taught me how to think through, design and code…. at a time when personal computers were in their infancy. It laid was the foundation for what was to become my career.
Finally, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to tell him all that, last year at the annual dinner when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award he so richly deserved.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Alan was a great help to me when I became a Head. He was already a legend so I was filled with trepidation as I approached the Oak Bay Beach hotel for my first ISA meeting -legendary Head of famous school to meet rookie Head of start-up school. I need not have worried – Alan was from our first meeting kind, understanding, wise, reflective, encouraging – and always available. A verse from Rudyard Kipling sums up his value to all of us who have, in one way or another, been taught by him:
No written word or spoken plea
Can teach young minds what they should be
Not all the books on all the shelves
But what the teachers are themselves
I send my warm regards and condolences to Alan’s wife and family, and thank them for sharing him with us.
Graham Baldwin
Chief Executive Officer
& Headmaster
Southpointe Academy
January 5th, 2010 at 11:11 am
It was a blow to hear of ACMB’s passing. I, like so many, had so many memories of him from my years at SGSFB 1975 to 1987 and the 1986 and 1988 rugby tours to the far east and ANZA respectively.
I can remember Christmas 1992 at the McGraw’s when ACMB came up to me (as I lithely put my beer behind my chair) and he congratulated me on my start of medical school. He went on to state in his usual fashion that most prefects would say that their headmaster never thought that they would amount to anything, and that this was always hogwash, but (after a wink and gleam of his eye) said “except in your case Dickey!” I can say that I am where I am today because of the school and ACMB, JB and Clive.
My love to you all and above all – Sine Timore aut Favore!!
Ian and Colleen Dickey – Bangor, Maine
January 5th, 2010 at 11:15 am
This comes as a big surprise. It is my privilege to know this great man, Alan Brown, to serve under his wings, and to be treated as his friend. He was a great Educator, multi-talented in every aspects.
Maggie and I had the greatest honour of having Alan and Alix as our wedding guests, we share many fond memories.
Alan, you will be in our hearts forever.
Peter and Maggie, Burnaby, BC
January 5th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Comments received January 4, 2010:
Dear Alix and Family,
My family and I were very saddened after learning of Alan’s passing.
Our thoughts go to you Alix and the girls. Even though we have been out of touch for so long, my daughter and I still remember with fondness all the times we were at your house enjoying conversations with the both of you, having a cup of coffee and cookies. These are fond memories that will always be with us.
I personally had the great privilege of working for Alan for almost 20 years; sixteen at St. George’s and four at Southridge. He was my mentor.
It all started when he found out that I was an Accountant who had immigrated from Mexico City – working part time in Saint’s kitchen while completing my English courses. One day I offered Alan to help in the office free of charge to obtain the “Canadian experience”. Well, that one day, he took me from the kitchen to the office where he gave me a long tape with numbers printed on it and placed me in front of a calculator. “He said to me: Add it up please.” When I finished, he looked at it and said to me: “Martha, you no longer work in the kitchen!” That same day he placed me in the office to help with the accounting procedures. That was the beginning of a work relationship/team and later on a friendship that lasted for many years.
He was the mentor that taught me many things and I learned so much just by watching him perform as a Teacher, Administrator, Headmaster and Director. I found his profound influence helped me to become the professional I am today, and for that I will always be truly grateful to him.
Working next to a person of the caliber of Alan Brown was an honour that I will never forget!!
Thank you for everything Alan and rest in peace.
~ Martha M. Lopez, Coquitlam, British Columbia
January 4, 2010
My great sympathies to you Alix and family.
In 1987 Alan hired me to teach Math at Saints. I had been out of the workforce raising my family for 16 years – I was apprehensive. Alan was always supportive, calming, and encouraging – he was a wonderful Headmaster. I loved the talks we had, not just about our common love of mathematics but also our common love of family. He was a very special human being and it was a privilege to have known him.
~ Angela Collins (Korber), Richmond, British Columbia
January 4, 2010
I cannot let you pass again without giving thanks for being my friend long ago. As a classmate of Alan’s, I was a ‘weekly boarder’ from grade 2 to the end of grade 9, at which time I left St. Georges. Alan’s thoughtfulness and intellect extricated me from ‘Coventry’ many times and Alan allowed me to share his life at his family’s home.
Throughout my life, I always envisioned his character to be as Leslie Howard’s… one of great sensitivity, intellect, compassion, but served up with strong doses of conviction on causes and needs.
I only saw him from afar throughout my life, and never gave thanks.
Shields II Feb.14 , 1937
~ Rick Shields, Vancouver, British Columbia
January 4, 2010
Dear Alix and Family,
I had the honour and privilege of following Alan as the second Head of Southridge School. Carrying on what Alan had started was, to say the least, a daunting task and my early days at Southridge were filled with doubts as to whether I could successfully preserve and build on what Alan and others had created. I found myself in a very unique school with no locks on lockers and students who had promised to live up to the three T’s. I found a community with a strong set of shared values and a spirit that I had never before experienced. I knew there was something very special about this place. Alan had created a truly unique school culture and I quickly learned that he was held in extremely high esteem by all constituencies within the school community. He was also highly regarded by independent school heads across Canada and was an icon in the broader independent school community.
I was always concerned about changing anything that Alan had started because of his passion for the school, his strong views on education, his incredible intelligence and wisdom, and the affection and high regard for all that he had done, which was palpable throughout the school community. In the end, many of the traditions that he started were still in place when I left Southridge after eight years. But even where I saw fit to make changes, Alan was very supportive of these. He would periodically visit the school, walk around and chat with people and take the pulse of the place. Then he would stop by my office to report. And it shall come as no surprise to anyone who knew him, that he would freely offer his opinions about any changes and the current state of affairs. To my delight, these were predominantly positive and his encouragement empowered me to move forward – gently, and always in his shadow, but with his blessing and support which meant so much to me.
Alan was a truly remarkable educator and leader. He was always forthright and his vision was a compelling one. I know that he touched the hearts of many students and teachers and inspired them to accomplish great things. He leaves an incredible legacy in the schools and communities that he has served and I am deeply saddened by his passing.
Bill Jones
~ Bill Jones, Calgary, Alberta
January 4, 2010
Dear Alix
Alan became my lifelong friend in July 1937 when we were born within a few days of each other in Vancouver. It was a sparkling, treasured friendship that spanned many decades & countries; precious memories remain.
Dickon thrived at St George’s, & Alan set exciting challenges for him, urging him to develop his writing skills & to see the broader picture.
During a Wimbledon visit by Alan & you, Lavell engaged Alan in a lively debate re British v Canadian education; who won the argument?
Dickon, Lavell & I send our fondest thoughts & heartfelt wishes to you & all the family.
Lovingly,
~ Margaret Mary Cochrane (in Cheshire), Dickon (in London), Lavell (in Connecticut).
Parkgate, Cheshire, UK
January 5th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Dear Alix & Family,
Terry & I were so saddened to hear of Alan’s passing. Our warmest thoughts go out to you during this difficult time.
We remember Alan as the wonderfully debonair organizer of the croquet tournament held at the Rutland Road party in 1998, a tournament which, unbelievably, we won, thanks in part (or whole) to Alan’s fiddling with the scores. Notoriously nonathletic, it remains a highlight in my life, the only time that I have won anything resembling an athletic event – with great thanks to Alan for his graciousness that bright August afternoon.
With warm wishes,
Terry & Marion Farrant
January 5th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
It has been ten years since I saw Mr. Brown, but my fond memories of him have not faded in that time. When I began at Southridge in its inaugural year, and we held assembly in a church in White Rock, Mr. Brown told us all that no one at Southridge was weird, because everyone is weird. And he said it with glee. I had never seen an educator stand up for the vulnerable kids before, and I will never forget it. As I struggled to adjust to Southridge, even though he must have been overwhelmed by so many concerns in establishing a new school, Mr. Brown noticed me, and helped me to succeed when I felt sure I would fail.
After Mr. Brown left Southridge, it was difficult for me to imagine graduating from a place that was so much “him”, without him there. But sure enough, Mr. Brown returned that year, serenading us once more during the holidays, integrating every student’s name into his lyrics of “Vive la Compagnie”. Having him back made the Feast feel right. Having him back for our graduation felt the same, and reflected what I knew of Mr. Brown: that he would see his students through. His door was always open to his students, and I always felt welcome with him around.
In reading everyone else’s comments, I am sorry I never knew the skydiving Mr. Brown, or wore a “My Pal Al” shirt. I am grateful, however, that I suffered no headwhacks. It seems Mr. Brown could move with the times. My deepest condolences to you, Mr. Brown’s family. He will be missed, and remembered fondly.
~ Jamie Rich, Southridge 2000
January 5th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
To Alix and your family, and to the Ralph Brown brothers, Ralph, Peter and Bob, condolences from the Roaf family. It is quite apparent, and not surprising, that Alan will be missed by many. Over the years I did not see much of Alan, but I certainly enjoyed the interesting and entertaining moments when I did.
Physics had been such a drudgery at Shawnigan Lake School until Alan came along. I’m not sure my marks improved, but my interest certainly did. His great intelligence and quick wit not only served us well in learning, but led to his own quick recovery as required. Upon demonstrating the principles of convex and concave mirrors Alan accidentally smashed half of it on the corner of his teaching desk at the front of the theatre. After a brief moment, his sunny response was, “See, it’s much easier now to prop up on my table here.” Alan always had time for the individual person and was always most hospitable. He has influenced the lives of so many in such a positive way. What a legacy! Thank you, Alan.
John, Alan and Peter Roaf
January 5th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Dear Alix and family,
I have many fond memories of Alan as our fearless leader when Southridge School first started. I was hired the year the school did not “go through” and I still remember how kind he was when he called to tell me the sad and disappointing news. ” I sure hope that we can count on you joining us next year when the school will definitely be a go” he said with determination. I really admired his vision he had for a school where no one would be called “weird” because he said “we are all weird in our own way”. I really admired Alan’s many talents and was always in awe of his extraordinary public speaking skills. You could hear a pin drop when he was speaking to the students in the first assemblies we had gathered in the Seaview Church (the school’s first temporary location). The students knew he meant what he said and he was true to his word. He always knew every student by name and expected all the teachers to know all the students in the school as well. He had a passion for teaching and a way of inspiring great things in his students and teachers. He will be missed but remembered by many.
Samara Ridley-Thomas
January 6th, 2010 at 8:07 am
I have known few people in life who contributed so much to so many.
Alan, you taught more than school, but about character and life.
As your student who entered the Senior School when you did, I saw you expand the School while you expanded our horizons.
You knew how to be challenged without faltering, though you leave us staggered by your unexpected passing.
Thank you, Alan, for making school an adventure; for remaining a friend after graduation; and, you Alix for standing behind him and with the enormous community of well wishers the two of you have created.
John Weston, M.P., West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast – Sea to Sky Country
January 6th, 2010 at 9:39 am
I only got to know Alan when I began working at St. George’s School three and a half years ago. In this short period of time, I felt like I had made a wonderful friend. I appreciated Alan’s phone calls to me each time letting me know how much he enjoyed the Saints event that he had just attended and thanking me for organizing it. Indeed, he gave me far too much credit each time, but that was Alan – a true gentleman.
Alan, thank you for all that you have done. You did so much more than simply transform St. George’s into a leading academic institution. You instilled the values of honesty, integrity, and good character that exemplify the St. George’s boy.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
I best remember Alan as a young, clever teacher at Shawnigan before he went off to Saints. He had a kindly manner with a reasonable tolerance for mischief, which we tested regularly. The worst (or best) was when we took advantage of his occasional absent minded professor penchant for bumping into things. These lapses of concentration caused such amusement we decided to engineer a series of accidents by rigging the physics lab with dozens of precariously placed obstacles set to crash at the slightest misstep. It was all going along beautifully…the class nearly hysterical, Mr. Brown ever more red-faced at each fresh explosion of glass or toppling of off-balanced books. But by the fifth booby-trap Alan twigged we were setting him up. He was furious but greatly relieved that he was not as unco as our traps made it appear. Despite severe punishment, all miscreants remained fond of and friends with Alan. Many years later, newly minted as a fundraiser, I asked Alan to lunch for counsel. But we ended up talking about the old days, not a word on raising money. Later he graciously gave me a ride to my next destination, eagerly punching in the co-ordinates on his brand new GPS navigating system. Of course we over-shot the address and a disembodied voice ordered us to back up. As I leapt out of the car, Alan smiled, passed over a generous cheque and wished me good luck in my new career. It was awesome, uplifting and I’ve never looked back…except now, sadly, wondering how time has all passed so quickly. Condolences to Alix and family. Alan was a truly good guy.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
It was with deep sadness that I heard of Alan’s passing yesterday. I will forever thank him for giving me the chance, at 29 years old, in 1979, to head the Modern Languages Department, starting a wonderful career that lasted twenty-nine years before my retirement in 2008.
Although we didn’t always agree on policy and hiring, I respected his reasoning and we had a very good working relationship. He also wanted me to run the “ice hockey” programme, as the Brits called it and on one occasion in my first year, I invited him to a game against an Arbutus team that, unknown to me, was a lot more talented. A 19-1 score was witnessed by all in attendance but AB gave only encouragement for the next game. Organizing the Ankle Cup always involved Alan offering himself as goalie for the staff vs Gr 12 team. This always energized the boys who tried to put the puck past the Headmaster with as much force and determination as possible. Prentice Durban, playing for the team although in Gr 11, took a slapshot that hit Alan in a very vulnerable position but did not put him “hors de combat”. Although I predicted that his shot would lose him the position of Head Boy the next year, this wasn’t the case. Another hockey memory consisted of my own unfortunate broken leg in 1985 caused by a student who ran over me with five minutes to go. While Daddy Stancombe was attending to me, suddenly a fur coat owned by Alix was offered to support my woozy head while Alan commiserated on my misfortune.
Staff parties chez Brown were always a lot of fun especially when we jumped into the hot tub with Alan and Geof Stancombe leading the way with songs of “mirth’.
One of Alan’s favourite expressions was “simply outstanding” and this statement embodied the true character of the man, his vision and his commitment to people and principles.
My deepest condolences to you Alix and your family. Sine timore aut favore.
Eric Stewart
Victoria,B.C
January 6th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
My condolences to the Brown family. Alan was my Chemistry teacher at Shawnigan and I one of his more frustrating students. I remember in early June of ’65 the school rowing eight was heading off to St.Catherines for the National Championships (schoolboy). As I was about to get on the bus taking us to the airport Alan arrived on the scene to wish the crew good luck. He looked at me and said ” Williams, you’re not going are you – if you do you’ll surely fail the Departmental Chemistry exam”. I looked at him and I knew he was serious. I asked the bus driver to wait (and the coach and crew), ran off to the classroom block and gathered up my Chemistry text etc. I then spent all available free time on the trip and on the flights studying Chemistry while the rest of the crew enjoyed the experience. The end result was that I did pass Chemistry ( barely), gained University entrance to UBC and the rest is history. I never crossed paths with Alan again to say thank you for the push (I must admit, I didn’t appreciate it at the time) but without that very quick interaction and challenge (he knew how to push my buttons) my future may have been quite different.
Thank you Alan.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
I was surprised to hear of Mr. Brown’s passing from my wife.
As I look back I remember a love/hate relationship with Mr. Brown in my time at St. George’s but this would be true of all great men.
Mr. Brown was always a hardworking headmaster. I recall him pacing the halls of the senior school late at night recording his mental notes into a microcassette recorder (probably part of the secret to his truly incredible memory for each student’s name and key facts about them). Mr. Brown was definitely a shrewd businessman in terms of running an efficient school.
I remember him supporting all of the functions of the school and above all I have to admit he was a fair person who wanted us to be honorable, respectable and educated gentlemen. Of course rebellious attitudes didn’t fit well in this equation and punishments always suited our “crimes”. Interestingly, the punishments invariably had some component that would help others (unlike physically painful punishments like the “phantom chair” or laps around the field that were sometimes doled out by the other staff).
Once I remember myself and two of my classmates had left the school property late at night to buy some firecrackers (both banned activities). In reality two of us went along to protect our friend who had planned a really stupid midnight purchase from an untrustworthy looking Dunbar area resident. We got caught leaving the property and the boarding house head master was furious but instead we chose to be silent and only to answer to Mr. Brown as we thought he would understand our attempt to protect one of our own no matter how dumb our actions actually were.
Mr. Brown understood our honorable intent to protect our own, but he also needed to remind us how stupid our actions ultimately were. Our punishment was a Saturday detention (the seriousness of our actions probably deserved a weekend gating) and we would spend the day helping bag manure at the annual manure shovelling fundraiser for the grade 12 rugby team Europe tour (believe me this was an awful task for short teenagers because at our height, the putrid smell was more intense).
As I look back to that day, again I was impressed how Mr. Brown participated in such a “dirty” fundraising event and when it came to the customary poop fight at the end of the day, he took it in stride that all of the senior team chose him as their primary target.
After the poop fight, Mr. Brown took the three of us back to his home where we could get cleaned up and sit in his hot tub to warm up as he took pity on us because we all looked like frozen, drenched and dirty mice.
While I still have mixed feelings about my years at St. George’s, I look back now as a mature family man, and I realize that Mr. Brown was a part of my past that taught me to be honest, strive to do my best, fight for the well-being and interests of those who are less fortunate than me and to try to be as shrewd as Mr. Brown was in business but above all maintaining honor and integrity in all of my business dealings.
Mr. Brown has obviously touched literally thousands of lives in a positive manner and I still refer to him as Mr. out of respect and honor for a man who I realize helped make me a better man and a productive member of our society.
Sometimes the best testament to the achievements of a person’s life and proof of the impact they had on others, lies in the number of people who pay their last respects to the person in question. Mr. Brown, my thoughts and memories are just one of the many who echo the sentiment that you will not be forgotten.
Rest in peace.
Respectfully,
David Chen
Vancouver, BC
January 7th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
In this life, how many people have you met who you could say genuinely embodied these traits:
Integrity
Authenticity
Sociability
Add to this list, a significant, insatiable intelligence, the ability to laugh at oneself, a genuine lust for life, and a preternatural, selfless ability to recognize, nurture, and realize potential in (unlikely) individuals and you might begin to get a sense of the uniqueness of the man.
Mr. Brown, we are honored to have known you. We thank you for all you have done for us. You will be sorely missed.
Matthew Grenby ’89
January 7th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Mr. Brown was my first Headmaster: I was welcomed to St. George’s with him in the corner office (literally of course), and he was still Head when I graduated. Later I worked in boarding, at Saints and on Vancouver Island then I became a teacher in CAIS private schools, and studied independent schools as a graduate student — so I have seen a number of Headmasters.
And as well as my first Headmaster, ACMB was, in my opinion, my best Headmaster. He never taught me (because I wasn’t in Math D, of course!) but he affected my life more than any other educator has done throughout my career.
As my career continues I hope I have had and continue to have a positive impact on young people as they grow to be adults. Most of them will never know that Mr. Brown is the ultimate source of that.
Our world is a better place for his life, and a sadder place for his death.
January 7th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
January 7, 2010
Dear Alix and Family,
It was with great sorrow that I heard of Alan’s passing. I had the honour of working for Alan for two years at Southridge – his final two and my first two. And now I follow Alan (and Bill Jones) as the third Head of School at Southridge. It is truly an honour to serve the school community that Alan helped to create. The work he did to establish a special school community will always be remembered in my heart, and I will do my best to carry on what he started. Alan’s spirit lives on at Southridge. I remember him asking me from time to time if there were still no locks on lockers, and I was always happy to let him know that there weren’t. The joy and pride of my response was in knowing that Alan was pleased. The school he worked so hard to create was being looked after and cared for. He spoke of Southridge with a sparkle in his eye and an open, caring heart.
We often talk with our students about leaving something positive behind each day at school. Alan left so much of himself behind at Southridge that I can honestly say our school is what it is today because of his enduring influence. I viewed Alan as a role model of integrity. He held true to his values and was determined to establish a sense of character in his Southridge students by role modeling truth, tolerance, compassion, and respect. Truth was really important for Alan. As part of the admissions process all new students promised him that they would tell the truth at Southridge. He often spoke to our students about telling the truth even when they feared there would be consequences. He knew that truth and trust go hand in hand, and he believed that a symbol of the truth-trust link was not to use locks on locker doors. He believed the essence and fabric of a strong community is trust, and he believed in the inherent goodness of his students. Alan influenced our school culture to such a degree that his values and beliefs will remain with Southridge for a very long time to come. He helped make our school a special place and all of us are so very fortunate to have had him as our founding headmaster.
Southridge was a light-hearted place of serious purpose under Alan’s skilled leadership and genuine care, and I sincerely hope that we will continue to influence our school’s culture to remain true to his convictions and beliefs.
Drew Stephens
Surrey, BC
January 8th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
In 1972 Alan hired me, sight unseen, from Scotland where I had put in my first two years of teaching. He patiently endured my attempts at developing my teaching skills in Mathematics, forgave the blunders I made, and any constructive criticism was couched in a respectful manner. St. George’s proved to be the starting point for a lengthy career of teaching Mathematics here in Canada.
Alan was very good to me in my two years at St. George’s, but not always intentionally so. In my second year there, Alan hired a very attractive young lady as assistant matron in the boarding house. It was a big mistake for Alan and a huge success for me. At the end of the year I married Sharon and took her with me. Last year we celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary.
Sharon and I owe a great deal to Alan. Without him I would not have come to St. George’s; without him we never should have met.
Thank you, Alan.
Ian & Sharon Agnew
Victoria
January 8th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Mr. Brown was a great pillar of support for me during those years of teen-aged awkwardness and confusion. We got to know each over the years during my many “visits” to his office. Each time I was expecting to be scolded thoroughly for my teen-aged overexuberance, but the meeting would usually end in some good laughs and plenty of smiles all around! In some instances I would be sure to get out of class so that I could visit Mr. B and have another one those talks! I realize now that he recognized that I required a lot of patience, and what I appreciate the most is that he guided me to realize the solutions on my own.
Since I am now older than half your age, I’d like to say, “thanks for the fond memories Alan – we will miss you!”
My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.
George Heras, ’89
January 8th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
How is it that a man who has educated 1000s of students could remember names and faces, and recall events and histories dating back 30 years? It was simply amazing and it made you feel like the most important person every time you saw him and he greeted you by your first and last name. He will be missed by both me and my wife, Monique.
January 8th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Dear Alix, Lindsay and Julie,
My most fond memories of Alan all revolve around the, what must have amounted to, hundreds of nights I slept over from grades 6 to 12. Alan carefully measuring out angles on cardboard and cutting and folding so he could hang another dodecahedron (or some other such obscure shaped) mobile from the kitchen ceiling, fending off prank calls from boys by answering “Sam’s pizza” or some such when the phone rang, and perusing the paper periodically to find the boys had put his car, and maybe once the house up for sale.
That rafting trip on the Thompson was fantastic too. Alan, blind as a bat, glasses covered in river water and fogged up negotiating those rapids!
I also remember his great pride in the school and the boys and his deep, deep sadness which lasted so long when one boys was killed in a car accident. He really loved the boys and the place and it was so nice to see him make the gala last fall.
Thanks for all those nights in the house on Laurier. It saved this West Van commuter a lot of bus time, but more than that it was always just so much fun!
My prayers and love to all of you.
With great fondness and wonderful memories.
Lesley
January 8th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
At a time when we were young and impressionable he was a larger-than-life representation of the establishment and what was expected of us. For that we owe him thanks. Those of us who made the cut and got into Math D were also fortunate enough to experience his flesh and blood qualities. I count myself lucky that all of my eleven years at Saints were under his stewardship. Sine Timore Aut Favore.
January 8th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
I learned of Alan Brown’s passing the same night as a small group of us gathered for an annual dinner we’ve been having since university. Each of us offered anecdotes and recollections of life at Saints under ACMB.
Several years earlier in the very same place, by chance, we’d been seated next to Alan and his family. We stood, raised a toast to our Headmaster and I believe we belted out a chorus of For All the Saints there in the middle of Hy’s.
That night Alan encouraged me to enroll my children at Southridge School. I did and what a marvelous place Alan created. He is revered there, his vision and values deeply instilled. A legacy writ large.
Thank you, Sir. You will be much missed.
Bill Bishop, Saints 1987
Andrew Bishop, Southridge 2018
Lindley Bishop, Southridge 2020
January 9th, 2010 at 2:17 am
It was saddening news to hear of Alan Brown’s passing. My condolences to Alix and the Brown family.
My time at St. George’s was a happy one full of terrific memories. It was fun going to school, even if some of the classes weren’t. The big reason why was the fact that the school’s day to day culture perfectly reflected the school’s motto, “Sine Timore aut Favore” (Without Fear or Favour). Mr. Brown exemplified that motto on a daily basis. His leadership at the school set the tone for everything else. Yes, he ran an efficient school that was results-oriented, but more importantly he continually taught us life’s most important values of integrity, honour, friendship, compassion & perseverance.
When I first met Mr. Brown in grade eight, my initial impression of our Headmaster was a respectful one but that he was a systematic “by the book Principal” and that for sure at somepoint I was going to get caned ( but which I never did).
My preference for wearing white athletic socks and other small mischief had me in his office a few times over the years. Over that time, I got to know a much different person. My respect grew as did my fondeness for a man who you could open up to and talk about anything “without fear or favour”. While he still administered each different infraction it seemed with the appropriate discipline, he also demonstrated such a great sense of humour and friendliness that you couldn’t help but like him. He was also one of the rare teachers that taught me and countless others that the journey was just as important as the destination.
God bless……..
Jake Kalpakian ’86
January 9th, 2010 at 10:38 am
It was an honour to have known you Alan.
I remember a conversation we had a few years ago. I was taking a break from repairing the dinning room doors at his house. Alan came by while I was reading the latest edition of the Guardian Weekly. Reading over my shoulder, he was immediately impressed by this paper- I offered it to him to read when I went back to work. Later Alan returned with the paper, ” Thank you, this is the news paper I have always been looking for”.
No Alan, I thank you.
January 9th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Leaving Saints as a teenager you do not necessarily realize how lucky you have been, and what an impact the school and its headmaster will have on you as you venture out in the world. Returning to Vancouver recently after almost 20 years away, with two potentially St. George’s-bound sons of my own, I fondly recall the days at Saints, and would like my boys to find their own “Mr. Brown”. One of the things I have been planning to do since I returned is visit Alan at home – but, unfortunately, I never did. Nonetheless, the pre-1987 memories are happy ones. I routinely tell my children, as Alan told us: “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye!” Not too long ago I was recalling a story about Alan on a bus in China while on rugby tour in 1986. Told at every opportunity that we absolutely, positively had to be back to the bus on time for departure to the next destination, Alan was, of course, more often delinquent than any of the boys. On one such occasion, with all boys sitting in the bus but Alan casually strolling back along the street, some of the other boys carefully instructed our Chinese guide to announce (with the appropriate accent) on the overhead speaker outside the bus: “Alan, move your ass!” He took it well, as he always did.
January 9th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Alan was and will continue to be an inspiration to me.
January 9th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
My deepest condolences on the loss of a truly wonderful man, whose tutelage, kindness and understanding live on in my memories. I will always recall the profound impact that he has had on my education and life as well as his uncanny ability to know precisely when I required a haircut! Rest in peace Mr. Brown.
January 9th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Our class was the first grade 8-12 graduating class for Alan. He was well broken in when we left…he was raw – 33 or 34 years old in his first year as head at St. George’s – we were all of 13 years old. He was well tested by many (and many grad years before 1976) and became an experienced leader 5 years later when we left to take on the world. Many have told stories and expressed their respect, but I can only imagine his excitement and spirit in taking over St. George’s at a very young age.
It is impressive to see the impact that a man can have on people’s lives.
Sympathies to all the Brown family.
January 10th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
It was a pleasure and an honor to be part of such a memorable service. Considering my years at Saints, Alan helped me as a beginner, travelled with me on sports teams, and was certainly an important part of my life at Saints. My thoughts and memories are with the Brown family.
Geoff “Daddy” Stancombe
January 10th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
I was very sad to read the news of Alan Brown’s passing. He was a great man and a great educator, and had a deep influence on me. I find it remarkable that in my memories of the eight years I spent at Saint George’s, I have as many specific memories of conversations with Alan as of interactions with any of my classroom teachers, even though I must have spent hundreds of hours in the various classrooms. He must have had a wonderful knack for the “teachable moment”.
It was his initiative to bring computers into the school as early as 1977; I believe we were the first school in British Columbia to have them. The early exposure I thus had to computer programming (yes, in those days, it was a rare privilege to have access to a computer at age 13!) has doubtless influenced my academic and professional development. I remember he once remarked that we wouldn’t properly understand the nature of the subject until we had experienced “staying up all night making love to a computer”; he was absolutely right and I had many occasions to remember it on sleepless nights at university. On other occasions I was rather chastened by his gift for the mot juste, but on those occasions it was no less a learning experience.
Would that all of us could impart so much knowledge and wisdom.
January 10th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Dear Alix and family,
In 1983, Alan hired me to teach music and a year later to head up the instrumental program at both the senior and junior school. I asked Alan to commit to six written conditions before I accepted the position because I knew many parents were not going to like the “more structured” music program. Alan signed off on those conditions, and as anticipated there were complaints in my first two years by some very influential parents. Without hesitation, Alan backed me in every single situation. He was an extremely intelligent individual with a moral character second to none. I was never afraid to state my disagreements with him, and many times, if I could back my case he would give me a chance to prove myself. He taught me not to wear white socks with suits, and where to use the word “well” instead of “good”…things that really helped me in my future endeavors. Alix, Alan once told me that through you he learned that the secret to a great partnership is knowing when the other person wants something more than you don’t and giving in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shared his advice to the business partners and others that I now work with. I’m sorry that I missed his memorial as I only found out about his passing today. Alan always watched my back. I left Saints when he did and have missed him ever since. Kevin.
January 10th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Hi Mr. Stancombe, Trevor Evans here. It’s sad and prophetic that Mr.Brown’s passing has put us in contact. I wish to thank you and your wife for all you did for me back when I was having problems with my parents in Grade 10, which was sorted out many years ago. Thanks so much for letting me stay with you until family matters were sorted out. I will never forget what you and Mr. Brown did for me back those many years ago (late 70s). I very much enjoyed sampling your home brew too
Hope all is well with you Geoff, Cheers, Trev
January 11th, 2010 at 1:47 am
I first met Alan Brown in September, 1955 in first year engineering at U.B.C. An initial impression of Alan still lingers with me as “the great debater,” any time, any subject. During the first 2 years of engineering I got to know Alan fairly well (I thought) but was a little surprised to learn his choice of engineering discipline for 3rd & 4th year was the same as mine, chemical engineering. As the summer of ’57 approached I mentioned to Alan that I still had not found a summer job. The caring and helping side of Alan quickly became apparent. “I have some contacts”, he said and the bottom line is that he got us both employed for the entire summer as rodmen doing plant site surveying at Taylor, B.C.
That was the most educational and best paying summer job I ever had. I don’t know if Alan’s family is aware but he and I decided to let our beards grow over that summer. Mine didn’t cause any stir and I didn’t shave it off until I arrived home. Alan, however, got so much razzing about his shaggy look that he shaved it off halfway through the summer.
Jumping to 3rd & 4th year…..partnering with Alan in chem labs was anything but dull. He would passionately launch into assignments and his verve would often see us finish up successfully in very short order. But sometimes his clumsiness would be reaffirmed, such as the time he knocked over a container of a potent permanganate cleaning solution onto a hotplate…..the rancid green smoke rendered the lab unusable for at least 24 hours.
Skipping to graduation…..when our relatively small chemical engineering class (16) graduated in 1959 we all scrambled quickly away to get in step with the real world. I did not catch up with Alan again until 1973. That was when I discovered that he was now headmaster of St. George’s School. Rather than just making a phone call, I made the bold move of dropping by the school one day and asking his secretary if I could just say hello. His secretary asked me to wait and very soon this very busy headmaster came out and asked me to join him in his office. We spoke of some things from the U.B.C. days, what he had been doing since our graduation, but the item I primarily remember from our brief conversation was Alan confiding to me of his wish to have a co-ed school – fait accompli!
In conclusion, my years at U.B.C. introduced me to many new friends and acquaintances but none more enigmatic and interesting than Alan C. M. Brown. These are some of the memories of the Alan I came to know and admire and will be forever thankful that I was able to do so.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Comments received January 5-9, 2010:
January 9, 2010
Thinking of you Alix. Condolences to you and your family.
~ Sandy Riley, Vancouver, British Columbia
January 5, 2010
Dear Alix, Lindsay, Julie; all the Browns,
When I eventually heard of Alan’s passing, I wasn’t sure what to say, as he was always so much larger than life! He was very kind and supportive of all I did/do.
He was keen to have the band, and we thumped our way through one of his favourites, “King of the Road,” that had a history in his early travels. Another favourite was “Abide with me”. Where that came from I don’t know. But we eventually got some spirit into it. We used to sing on assemblies, which he liked, and one day he recited “Do not go gently into that good night” from memory!! He said that was a favourite too, and I think he did these things, like other things, too many to list, because he felt “they would be good for us!”
Well, he’s on that road, “Abiding” with his reward, living in a brilliant light, I would think, with all the details of his achievements as his Elegy.
Alan had a great effect on my life and destiny – it was always an “occasion”
to be invited to the Brown residence and family, as it was a pleasure to see you at the school when time and events allowed.
It was a short, busy, 20 years, with many memorable happenings, due very much his hopes and drive for St. Georges and its people.
Sine timore aut favore.
Gordon.
~ Gordon Atkinson, Agassiz, British Columbia
January 11th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Eulogy
Saturday January 9th
St. George’s School
From Julie with love.
It is overwhelming to see so many friends, family and former students here today. We are grateful to Chor Leoni, and the Vancouver Police Pipe band and the St. George’s grade 12 students for joining us. My Dad would not have expected it, and would be honored by it. From an early age, he encouraged us to engage in public speaking, so he would be pleased, I think, that Lindsay and I are both speaking today. I will leave others to do justice to his larger accomplishments, because I just want give you a brief window into who he was as a father, and grandfather. He was a commanding figure in my childhood, but also affectionate and a warm lap to curl up in. He gave us horse-back rides, played dress-up, built us stilts that outlasted our childhood, created unusual games for parties, and put on funny skits with the neighbors. My earliest memories of music are my Dad’s Neil Diamond records, which he played over and over and over. Every Christmas as a special gift, he would delight us by reproducing the sound of a camel, which would last about 20 seconds and render him hoarse for three days. He was always challenging us, which I enjoyed. He gave us each $20 for learning the kings and queens of England and their dates of rule, starting with William 1st . . . 1066-1087. Most dinners included spelling bees or mathematical puzzles. Here is the one I heard more often than any other, and I challenge you all to solve it.
There is a frog at the bottom of a 30-foot well. Each day he climbs 3 feet and each night he falls back 2 feet. How many days does it take him to get out of the well?
Be careful, it is trickier than you may think.
As I grew older, we spent many hours together playing chess, backgammon, and Othello. Aware of the challenges that go along with being a headmaster’s daughter, he gave me a fair amount of leeway. Sometimes I took more than he gave, and he usually found a way to appeal my conscience and make me never want to do so again. He had high expectations of my boyfriends, frequently rating them in terms of fish – there was the minnow, the rock cod . . . it wasn’t easy to be a salmon. When I left home, he wrote infrequent but always entertaining letters, usually containing a timely nugget of wisdom. I know he worried that I inherited his absent-mindedness, but I always knew he was proud of me and he made me believe I could do whatever I set my mind to do. Whenever we were together or spoke on the phone, he always asked — was I well, were my finances in order, and was I happy.
He was very excited about becoming a grandfather, and all the opportunities it would provide to undo my attempts at responsible parenting. He was in the delivery room when his grandson, Sam, was born, and spent Christmas with Benji soon after his arrival from Thailand. Until this past year when traveling became difficult, we did well maintaining a pact that he would spend time with his grandchildren at least monthly. He tried hard to keep up with their antics even as he was slowing down himself. Sam remembers him playing soccer in his big brown shoes; teaching him how to play chess and solve the puzzles in his office; laughing together at the movie Chicken Run; catching a wave on his boogie board in Hawaii in 2006; and dozing, head on his chest, glasses askew, legs crossed, with a cold coffee beside him. Benji remembers him in Hawaii last Christmas, going down the pool slide with his hands in the air, smiling; and just this past November, playing with him with marbles and shells that had been organized into armies on the floor.
My Dad loved many things, and helped us to appreciate them too. He marveled at big animals – elephants and blue whales especially. He loved the ballet of ducks that was in constant performance off the shore of his home, and took pleasure in identifying the more rare Bufflehead amongst the flock of Surf Scoters. He had a special feeling for certain numbers, especially primes and multiples. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to receive a birthday card congratulating me on becoming 2 to the 5th, or a perfect square. On my Mum’s honeymoon, he quizzed her on her knowledge of quadratic equations. He appreciated the beauty of polyhedrons and fractals. His Christmas wasn’t complete unless he found a new puzzle in his stocking, and we were challenged each year to find one he had never seen before. He loved the Rubik’s cube best of all the puzzles, and more than once told me he thought it should be included in a time capsule sent into space, as an example of human ingenuity. He called his personal computer his other life’s companion, and spent many happy hours programming, or sometimes just solving minesweeper, Freecell, or all 50 levels of Sokoban. He was a bit obsessed with watches, dissatisfied if his current one lost a second each week, and endlessly seeking a better one. At one point, I remember him wearing two simultaneously, testing one that recalibrated itself with a satellite link against an older favorite. He loved sharing all these passions with his family and friends, and relished the chance to show off his latest gadget. He was fond of long baths, preferably involving a nap. He enjoyed sophisticated jokes and bad puns, particularly those he invented himself. He knew many of his favorite poems by heart. He delighted in a good, even heated, debate on pretty much any subject. In later years, he loved crosswords, especially partnering on the tougher ones with my husband Tom. But more than anything, I know he loved us all, especially my Mum. I remember one day while traveling, we were sitting at breakfast together and my Mum was taking a walk. As she walked past our window, he said admiringly, “look at that remarkable woman. She has such dignity and grace.”
I know it is in the natural order of things to say goodbye to your parents, but it still seems unfathomable to me that he is no longer here. He is with me every day. He is the voice in my head, and the comfort in my heart.
January 11th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
To the Brown family:
The service at the school this past Saturday was exceptional–a memorable and moving tribute to a great man.
While I have many fond memories of my time at St. George’s (I attended for grades nine through twelve and graduated in 1980), I will share two of my favourites involving Alan Brown.
About one week into my first year, I was walking the halls after class. I had yet to conform to the “no hair must touch the top of the shirt collar” edict, and was happily letting my freak flag fly. Mr. Brown saw me, called me over by name, and gently suggested that I get a hair cut. Somewhat reluctantly, I responded that I would
About one week later, Mr. Brown again saw me, and again asked to speak with me. “I thought we’d agreed that you’d get a haircut” he said. “But sir, I did.” was my reply.
The second haircut, apparently, more thoroughly met the standard.
And, in 1979 I was lucky enough to participate in the school’s rugby tour to France and Great Britain. We travelled to Guernsay, and I was part of the second XV playing the local team of underclassmen. Very early in the game, it became clear that our opposition was in for a rout. Playing outside centre, I scored the third try (of about ten by our team on the day) by sidestepping past my opposite number about five yards outside the end zone. In response, Mr. Brown went apoplectic. From the sidelines I received a severe dressing down for having committed the unpardonable crime of not making the final pass to the wing so to include him in the play. Several minutes later I again crossed the goal line with the ball in my hands (that Guernsay team was really, really bad); however, with Mr. Brown’s words in my mind, I was too afraid to score. So, standing deep in the end zone I passed the ball to my wing, by that act giving him the honour of scoring, and assuaging my overwhelming guilt for not having done so earlier.
Needless to say, I did not start the next game in Wales.
Without question, Alan Brown was the right man in the right place at the right time, and every student of the school who attended during his tenure as headmaster is the better for it.
With kindest regards,
Quentin Adrian
January 11th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
When I heard that Alan had passed a wave of memories washed over me. Too late, I realize what a profound impact Alan had, and has, on my life personally and professionally. Alan hired me as a young (23 year old) science teacher in spite of having the worst interview either of us likely ever encountered again. He offered me a leave of absence in 1985 and in 1987 asked me if I would become a Housemaster. As a result, I had 13 wonderful years at St. George’s. Some specific memories?
– Honesty time, gentlemen!
– Moving to the convent and starting to teach on the very same day.
– Alan waiting until there was the “right” moment of silence to end Wednesday night’s boarder’s dinner.
– When some junior school students had walked on a neighbour’s grass on the way to the senior playing fields I was accosted by the owner. The owner told me to tell Alan Brown that he was going to have his children who owned motorcycles tear up and down the street outside of Alan’s Laurier house. So, being young, I carried on up to the senior school and told Alan. Alan told me to get in his car. We drove to the neighbours house and the owner corroborated my story. Alan then lectured the owner on the impropriety of threats and said that he had no intention of changing the walking procedures at the Junior school. The much humbled owner could not get back in his house quick enough. Getting out of the car at the senior school Alan looked at me and asked, “the boys aren’t going to walk on the neighbour’s lawns anymore, are they?”
– Playing hockey in the Ankle Cup. Alan telling me that we, the staff, had to win (he was very competitive).
– When Alan let a fellow teacher “go” I challenged Alan. Alan looked at me from behind his desk. Then looked down at some papers on his desk and said “you teach science, right?” Yes, I responded. “You give a final exam on your full course, right?” “Of course I do.” “Then you should know that if you ever do a final exam that is just on the parts of the leaf, I will fire you too.” I’ve never been so happy to get out of an office in my life.
– No locks on doors. My office to this day has no locks.
– When we had huge thefts in the boarding house including snowboards, stereos, money, etc. Alan’s brilliant moral persuasion had no effect. It turned out that an old boy was sneaking into the building. Alan heard that a former student had been seen and decided to visit the former student at his residence. Fortunately, as Alan told me “I found the door unlocked and ajar, so I went inside to see if everything was alright.” Inside were all the missing items. Who needed a police force when you had Alan?
– Arguing against Creationism being appropriate for the science classroom.
– His palpable sadness when there was an acrimonious parent debate about the merits, or lack thereof, on drinking on school trips. You could try to beat up Alan BUT never beat up or be divisive about the school.
– Ensuring we were paid fairly even when the public system had an 18% wage increase.
– Alan explaining to me why you “never save a child on another child’s back.”
The service on Saturday was a remarkable testament to a man who had a keen vision. He had the “courage of his convictions”, which is missed by so many of us today.
To Alix and family, thank you for sharing your Husband, Dad and brother with us. Your speeches would have made him very proud.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Interviewing for a spot at St. George’s back in 1982, I sat alone with Mr. Brown in his office. He asked me something about whether I treated other students badly or said mean things about them, and I replied, nervously, “I don’t try to.”
“I think you mean, ‘I try not to,'” he corrected me. And he was quite right. As an even-then-aspiring writer, I appreciated his attention to the detail.
I started grade 9 that fall, and graduated in 1986. I also recall his promise to every new student that, within a few weeks of the start of school, he’d give you a quarter each time he addressed you and could not remember your name. I don’t know if he ever paid anyone.
At the time, we students reflexively disliked him, even as we respected him. After all, he was the personification of The Man. We learned to appreciate him more as we graduated, and as we became adults ourselves. As with so many of our teachers who have now died, such as Mr. Baker, Mr. Overton, and of course Mr. PJ, we appreciate him even more now, posthumously.
January 12th, 2010 at 9:09 am
I first met Alan when I had a job interview at Southridge School back in 1998. Though he had a perfectly adequate office, only our initial introductions were held there. Instead he very excitedly pulled two hard hats out from under his desk and we walked up to the construction site. Most of my interview was conducted while navigating beams, tools and other building materials. As we walked the almost-finished walls of the new Senior School, we talked about the “life” that the building was about to take. A very memorable interview for me!
Alan hired about 15 teachers that year due to the rapid growth at the school. When I returned in late August to start work, Alan mixed me up with someone else. Neither the other teacher nor I said anything, as we were both nervous and enthusiastic first year teachers. We went about our business (I was in the senior school and she was in the junior school, even though we’d expected the opposite). Towards the end of the school year, we all realised the mix-up and Alan just said “Whoops, well are you both happy? Good.” And we were both happy. I thanked him later for the mistake that dictated my career.
I have many fond memories of Alan: Feast skits (mostly Monty Python), speeches in assembly, carpooling all of the teachers to end of year dinner in the school van, and over-hearing his conversations with students in the hallways. They respected and liked him very much. As did I.
To Alix, family and friends: I was fortunate to have known Alan in his professional life. On Saturday I heard stories of the Alan as a father, brother and friend. Thank-you for sharing this side of him with us. A remarkable man, he will be missed by many.
Beth (Robertson) Mullin
Southridge Teacher 1998-2005
January 13th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
To the Brown Family,
In my role as President of the Georgians it was privilege to present Alan last year with the Lifetime Achievement Award from our great fraternity of Old Boys at our Annual Dinner.
I found it remarkable finding myself giving tribute to Alan, given that during my time at the School I was not a star academic or athlete and found my small successes in the School’s Art Centre in drawing and painting.
Alan’s view of me from that time is probably best summed up by the line from one of my report cards, “Scott is amusing at times but trying on others.” I knew I could make Alan laugh but at times he became frustrated with my more imaginative antics – like the time I decided my artistic skills could be best used to adopt the handwriting style of a number of my classmates mothers in order to write notes to the School so that they could be conveniently missing during the day for “doctors appointments” or “illness”. This was a well organized operation, complete with special note paper, pens and envelopes for each boy’s mother. It also went on for a remarkably long time but as usual Alan had superior forensic talents when it came to school boy antics and caught up to me.
Alan to my great surprise tried to engage me as I got older through reason as to my consistent habit in breaking School rules, particularly with respect to the dress code and the length of my hair. It was this experience that impressed me the most about Alan as my Headmaster. He showed me that there were reasons for rules and arguments could be made about them. On one occasion, I was caught with too many infractions about my hair length. Alan called me into his office and I assumed that I was in for a caning. Instead of a caning, Alan and I discussed why he had the rules about hair. He also explained to me that he had recently been to England where the skin head phenomena had taken hold with the punk rock music scene. He told me that if any boy shaved their head like a skin head, he would object to that too. I realized that Alan wasn’t against the hippie look, he was against extremism. It began to shape my view of Alan as an inherently civil and civilized man.
I think I also began to understand what he was trying to do with us as boys. I think he wanted us to become responsible citizens. I think he wanted us to see the reasons behind things. As we got older he wasn’t above letting us trade arguments with him on the merits of the “rules” but really he was asking us to examine how we wanted to govern ourselves and to look at our obligations and not just our privileges.
Again, it was my great honour to pay tribute to Alan last year for all that he has done for the School and the boys. Few men have such a legacy, and one which long outlives them.
For me, I will always treasure his simple closing comment as I said good night to him last year, “Scott, I always remember your smile”. That was kind and heartening to hear. Maybe it was only the laughter that stayed with him from those days long ago.
God bless you.
Scott Lamb ’79
President,
St. Georges Old Boys Association
January 14th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Comment received January 12, 2010
Dear Alix, we were so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. The obituary was very interesting – a man of many talents and accomplishments.
Lis and I send you our sincere sympathy.
~ David Ker
January 14th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
As Alan Brown watched over our lives at St. Georges’, spoke to us at assembly, or talked to us in the hall (or his office for the unfortunate) we did not, as boys, realize that we were being taught how to be men. Integrity, honesty, excellence, and compassion – these things I know he reinforced in me – and I believe that I am a better man for it.
He will be missed.
Kevin
January 16th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Comments received January 16:
January 16, 2010
Dear Lindsay and family,
My thoughts are with all of you during this difficult time.
Best,
~ Kitty Scott, Banff, Alberta
January 17th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I was very sad to read about Alan’s passing and moved to read all of the testimonials to his influence on so many lives. I feel privileged to have known him and had the benefit of his humour and judgement, and also to have gotten to know his family.
Alix, Lindsay and Julie, please accept my heartfelt condolences on your loss. May the many wonderful memories sustain you in the difficult weeks to come.
Warm regards
Paul McKenzie
January 19th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
We were fortunate to be houseguests of the Browns about a year ago. The warmth and hospitality shown to us was beyond our greatest expectations. We wish to reiterate our appreciation and express our condolences for your loss.
Sincerely,
Erica, Pat and Heath
Pediatric Emergency Fellows
Seattle Children’s Hospital
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Dear Alix and Family
I spent eleven very happy years teaching under Alan. He was an inspirational Headmaster, responsible for the huge strides made by Saints in scholarship in all aspects of the curriculum, and in moral and physical structure.
He was utterly courageous. As mentioned by Stephen O’Keefe, he tackled any issue that needed to be sorted out no matter how inconvenient to himself – or difficult for others to see in that light at first.
He showed another sort of courage when playing in goal against the field hockey team wearing his glasses. Ignoring their breakage, as Cam McLaren remarked, he played slightly better than the Ancient Mariner, who “stoppeth one in three”.
He had an inborn sense of fairness. The school’s discipline was based on mutual respect and he encouraged the students to make their case. In the year of his fortieth birthday, at the pre-grad party he was given a gold pen and forty rose bushes – a mark of widespread affection.
There is much to remember and be grateful for about Alan and he was one of the wittiest men I knew. The home in Laurier was the source of generous hospitality – always full of fun and laughter – and of unfailing support from a great team. Thank you, Alan and Alix. Our thoughts are with you and your family.
Mike Smith
January 24th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Dear Linds, Julie, Alix and Brown Family,
I was so sorry to hear from Linds about Alan’s passing (or Mr. Brown as he will always be to me). I still see him sitting behind the computer or tinkering with something in the kitchen or playing with some new mathematical puzzle. I remember the day the Rubik’s cube made its entrance into your home and kept a group of us obsessed through the evening, lying around the den trying to figure it out—Steve, Julian, Andrew, Alex, Linds, and Dottie.
I also remember feeling at a younger age quite intimidated by his intellect. He was just sOOOO smart and witty….and all of us tried very hard to keep up our side of the conversation. As I grew older, I saw the softer side of Mr. B…how much he cared about his family, friends and the people he worked with and for.
As one gets older, and particularly for those of us who have professions that lead us to having gypsy lives and seeing much hardship in the world, you begin to really appreciate the importance of having the solid, good, generous people around whom communities are built. Those warm hearths that are open to all. You, Alix, and your husband provided that for so many generations…and your daughters continue in that tradition.
I will miss coming back to Vancouver and knowing that Alan’s physical presence is there… but at least we can all be comforted that his spiritual presence will be there forever.
Hugs to you all,
Eva ( on a grey day in New York)
January 26th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Dear Alix, Lindsay, and Julie:
From our days on Laurier, time at Hood Point, my years at Saints and social events in the decades since, the Brown family has moved in and out of my life in many ways. Alan was a mentor and friend – he was generous with his interest, concern and guidance always and in all ways.
Last year he visited Nelson with Ralph and we passed a very enjoyable evening together. Your loss is profound, but I hope you can measure the quality of his life in the remarks you are receiving. For everyone who responds there are dozens of other lives which Alan touched.
He loved his family and was very proud of all of you. When he spoke of grandchildren his smile broadened and his heart softened. Bless you and thank you for supporting Alan all those years so that he was able to give to all of us. Your sacrifices helped Alan have the impact which is so evident in these responses.
January 29th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
I suppose that one of the best measures of a man is the lasting impressions that he makes (and their number) on those with whom he interacts. I think as well that this measurement is enhanced when those whose lives a man has affected know little of that effect, until decades later, when they can see from their own path of experiences just how much positive influence was exerted. Such is the case with Alan Brown, in my reckoning, as I am sure it is in countless Georgians. His mentorship, and the school environment that he created and in which I thrived, I am now only just realizing were so important to my upbringing.
Although a close family friend of my parents, and a neighbour for a time on Bowen Island, I had always kept a distance between Alan and myself as a schoolboy, and my interactions were intellectual, and formal. I was happy in later years to shed this formality and get to know Alan as the mischievous, puzzle-crazy sage that he had always been. I was deeply affected by his passing, and my heart goes out to you Alix and Julie and Lindsay.
You organized a fitting tribute to a man who shall stand very tall among all men in life everafter.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Dear Julie, Alix, Lindsay,
I was very saddened to learn so belatedly of Alan’s passing. Your family was very much a home away from home and it leaves a hole in my heart that I can’t enjoy the hope of seeing you all together again.
I echo John’s sentiments above – Alan left a vital impression on my life. His imprint has morphed through my boyhood, to young adult, to parent, teacher, coach and leader. In each of these roles, Alan’s memory and influence has been important and surprisingly strong and vivid. This lasting influence is echoed in the lives of many friends and schoolmates and a testament to Alan’s life work.
But let me return again to the Brown family – I wish so much that my children and family could have had the chance to meet you all together. Your family is a model for my own and Alan’s life as a father and husband is a model for me. My love goes to you all and, I look forward to seeing you all, and sharing Alan’s memory in person.
April 29th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Having joining Saint’s in Grade 11 after all my life in public school, it was a challenge to conform to all the rules and regulations. Alan knew that the challenges in front of me would be over come in short order. After finding it difficult to do so, I arrived in his office, books in hand, advising him that Saint’s was not the school for me. Alan said that is fine, but before you go lets have a chat.
After an hour or so I left with my books and headed back to class. Alan I thank you for your wonder words and kindness to me. All I can say, is that Saints was the very best school I have ever been to. I hope we weren’t to hard on you in 72″ We loved you!
April 28th, 2012 at 9:54 pm
I have only just now learned of Alan’s death and I am very saddened. He taught me Physics at Shawnigan, 1967/68, and was simply the best teacher I ever had. I became a teacher myself because of him. I last spent time with him when I visited him at Southridge. I really loved that man and am so sorry he is gone.