Buck Brown Sr.

Dr. Buck Ferguson Brown, Sr., 91, of Ninety Six, South Carolina, widower of Neila Hays Brown, to whom he was happily married for 62 years, passed away on January 7, 2024. He was born on October 22, 1932, in Monroe, Louisiana. He is survived by his three children: Buck Brown, Jr. (Menka), Carrie Lucas, and Lou Brown (Kim); as well as eight grandchildren: Austin, Drew (Ashley), Dara, Buck, III (Rachel), Powers, Trek, Erica, and Hays. Buck also is survived by three brothers-in-law and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, Buck was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar Wharton Brown, Sr., and Roberta Brown; one brother, Oscar Wharton Brown, Jr., and his wife, Elise Brown; his in-laws, Neil and Juanita "Pete" Hays; a brother-in-law, Lynn Hays; and a son-in-law, Barry Lucas. Buck attended Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from MIT. He furthered his education with a master's and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University, where he met his wife, Neila. Throughout his career, Buck made significant contributions in the field of electrical engineering. He worked as a control systems engineer on B58 supersonic bombers at General Dynamics (Convair). Later, he was an instructor in electrical engineering at Oklahoma State University. In 1964, he moved his family to Ruston, Louisiana, where he worked as a professor of electrical engineering at Louisiana Tech University and founded Lincoln Electronics. In 1980, the family moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, where Buck became a professor and department head of electrical and computer engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. During that time, he also served as the Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement (ILI) program director at the National Science Foundation and was an expert witness on many court cases involving electrical engineering issues. At the end of his career, he served as the first dean of research and graduate studies at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, where he began a graduate program in Engineering Management and where he welcomed the first female students to the college. He served in that position until his retirement in 1999. For the past several years, he taught online electrical engineering courses for the University of Arkansas. In his earlier years, Buck coached Church League football (fourth through sixth grades), in which both of his sons participated. Buck was an active member of various Presbyterian churches throughout his life. He worshipped at First Presbyterian Church in Ruston, Louisiana, where he was a deacon, elder, and Sunday school teacher, and where he played an instrumental role in keeping the congregation together after part of it moved to another branch of the church. He also attended Westminster and Central Presbyterian Churches in Terre Haute, Indiana, and in his later years, First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood, South Carolina. His faith in his savior Jesus Christ was evident and strong throughout his entire life, and he passed this faith and hope along to his children and his extended family. The Family will hold a memorial service at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, January 14, at 3:00 p.m. in Greenwood, South Carolina. Buck Ferguson Brown, Sr., will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him. His legacy as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, an accomplished engineer, and a dedicated member of the community will be cherished forever.

Buck Brown Sr.

October 22, 1932 - January 7, 2024

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