Morris Brown, a 35-year administrator with the City and County of Denver, passed away Jan. 11, 2013, in Denver. Rabbi Steven Foster and Cantor Regina Heit officiated at the Jan. 14 service at Temple Emanuel. Interment followed at Emanuel Cemetery. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.
Throughout his life, Morris focused on duty to country and community, self-improvement, the study of classical and contemporary thinkers, humor, sports and above all his family, his loved ones said.
Mr. Brown was born Jan. 30, 1923, in St. Louis, Mo., to Russian Jewish immigrants Louis and Minnie (Gordon) Brown.
Because Minnie was very ill, Louis took seven-year-old Morris and his older brother Phillip to Denver, where they were placed in the National Home for Jewish Children, an orphanage at 3447 W. 19 Ave.
At the orphanage, Mr. Browns diminutive stature earned him the nickname of Pinky. He was a gifted athlete and participated in sandlot sports. A student at Cheltenham Elementary, Lake Junior and North High, he played the trumpet at Lake and North.
In May, 1942, at the age of 19, Mr. Brown enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. Stationed in Panama and Guatemala, he was an armament guard for the 50-caliber machine guns on the B-7 and B-24.
Mr. Brown earned a BA at DU in 1948 and an MBA in May, 1953.
He started work as the commissioner of supplies with the City and County of Denver and later was promoted to the Dept. of General Services, where he was office manager of theaters and arenas. Red Rocks, the Coliseum and Currigan Exhibition Hall were built during his tenure.
In 1955 Mr. Brown married Betty Jean Sukonick.
Mr. Brown retired from the city as administrator for Denver General Health in June, 1985. He spent the next 13 years as the property manager for the York House apartments.
A volunteer for the Colorado Talking Book Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for 26 years, he and Betty were active board members of the Denver chapter of Friends of Alyn, a childrens hospital in Jerusalem.
Mr. Brown, who was a Bar Mitzvah at the Romanisha Shul on West Conejos, joined Temple Micah in 1963. He was president of Micah from 1974-1975. In the 1980s, he and Betty founded the fellowship group Am Shalom.
Most recently, the couple belonged to Temple Emanuel.
For over half a century, Mr. Brown was a practitioner of martial arts and earned the rank of fifth dan black belt in Aikido. He and Betty practiced Tai Chi together for 17 years.
Mr. Brown is survived by his wife Betty Brown; children Mark (Ruth) Brown and Cathy Scott; and grandchildren Sydney Scott and Shoshana and Naomi Brown.
Contributions may be made to Alyn Hospital.
Copyright © 2013 by the Intermountain Jewish News
