Frederick Spencer (Sr.) Brown

Frederick Spencer (Sr.) Brown, age 79, peacefully died Sunday, February 16th, 2025, surrounded by his family. Frederick (Fred) was born February 25th, 1945,in Grand Rapids, MI as the fth and youngest child of John Frank Brown and Carol Brown (Johnson). While know as Fred, Frederick’s nicknames included “Fa”, “Freddie” and “Downtown Freddie Brown”.In 1899 Fred’s great-grandfather, Spencer Johnson, co-founded Manassas (still standing today), a historical school in Memphis, TN catering to children with no place to learn, thus planting a seed in Fred for the importance of protecting and mentoring young people. Fred’s mother Carol raised the family in the church, at First Community AME, where you would nd the family all day on Sunday and every Wednesday evening. Fred’s mother laid the foundation, and Fred maintained arelationship with the Lord to his last breath.As a younger man, if it wasn’t Sunday or Wednesday, you’d nd Fred and his lifelong friends travelling the city looking for pickup games. Outside of the Lord Fred loved family, friends and basketball, playing the game in his youth and watching the game as a keen observer when his playing days were over. Fred was a basketball star at Ottawa Hills High School, and despite suering a knee injury, continued playing the game he loved, rst at Grand Rapids Junior

College and then at Parsons University in Faireld, Iowa. After his playing days, Fred was fortunate to discover his next and nal lifelong passion – mentoring and building relationships with children and teens. This passion was discovered at Grand Rapids Job Corp, where 12-to-14-hour days were normal. This experience inevitably opened the door for Fred to transition to his dream job – returning to Ottawa Hills as a security guard. Anyone who knows Fred knows there was no other place he wanted to be, and decades of students instinctively knew this – Mr. Brown loved them, and they love Mr. Brown. To continue his passion for mentoring youth, Fred founded Mr. B’s Basketball Camp, and that’s where you would nd him for three months every summer, ve days a week - side-by-side with committed volunteers feeding and mentoring the next generation of family, community and city leaders.

In 2017 Fred was the recipient of the prestigious Grand Rapids “Giants Award” and proudly accepted the Walter Coe Public Service Award, and in 2023 Fred was inducted into the Ottawa Hills Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. Fred was preceded in death by his wife Barbara King-Brown, his parents, sisters Joy Baker and Vera Brown-Curtis, brothers Sgt. Robert Brown, Dr. A. Cliord Brown and Lloyd J. Brown, and his lifelong friend Will Nixon. Fred is survived by his children Jill Brown, Victoria Edwards, Spencer (Noelle) Brown, and Caleeia Luster, and two stepchildren - Rochelle Harrison and Ernest (Sandra) King; Thirteen grandchildren – Brittnee Harrison, Amber (Christopher) King-Perez, Keirsten Brown, Jazelle (Justin) Buenger, Seliena Beltran-King, Henry “Hank” Edwards, Kalen King, JaShaan Edwards, Victoria “Toriey” Edwards, Olivia Brown, Xavier King, Jillian Brown, and Macy Brown; many great grandchildren, including Jeriyah Bob-Grey, Julianna Brown, Sincere Taylor, Layla Edwards, Kendall Simmons, Mesari Edwards and Leah Edwards; and loving in-laws Freddie Hayes, Murray (Florence) Weatherall, Patricia Dolly, Jeerey (Beverly) Weatherall, Carolyn Dulaney, Faye Weatherall- Davis, Teresa Weatherall (Dennis) Neal, Denise “Nise” Weatherall, and Gwendolyn Weatherall.

VISITATION   Thursday February 27, 2025     3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Brown's Funeral Chapel

627 Jefferson Ave. SE

Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503

FAMILY HOUR Friday February 28, 2025 11:00 AM

Brookside Christian Reformed Church

3600 Kalamazoo Ave S.E.

Grand Rapids, MI 49508

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Friday February 28, 2025 12:00 PM

Brookside Christian Reformed Church

3600 Kalamazoo Ave S.E.

Grand Rapids, MI 49508

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