Ronald A. Browndied Monday, July 21st at Alice Peck Day Hospital in Lebanon, NH. He was 91.

Ron was born in Kearney, Nebraska in 1922 to Nelle and Leslie Brown and grew up during the dust bowl of the 1920's and 30's.

He served as Flight Engineer flying B-17s in the 34th Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force during World War II. He participated in Operation Chowhound, which dropped food to starving Dutch citizens near the end of the war.

After the war he worked for United Airlines as a Flight Engineer for nearly 34 years. During this time he served as President of the Flight Engineers International Association through the Flight Engineer's strike in 1961. In the late 1960's he flew between San Francisco and Vietnam as part of the Military Airlift Command. In 1970, he trained on the brand new 747 Jumbo Jet and for the rest of his career flew them between Chicago and Honolulu.

He and his wife Betty were avid hikers and canoeists, hobbies that brought them to rural Maine in 1971. After retirement Ron bought and restored several classic airplanes including a 1958 Piper Cub which they flew all over the country – including the Oshkosh and Sun 'n Fun Fly-Ins - but especially around central Maine.

Ron was an unassuming man of deep integrity and was intensely devoted to his wife and family. He believed in right and wrong. He cherished a small number of close friends. He hated the wind and was a talented and lifelong photographer.

Ron is survived by his wife of 65 years Betty Brown, his daughter Kathy of Boonsboro, MD and sons Rod of Silver Spring, MD and Tyler of East Thetford, VT, grandsons Sean Walsh of Fairplay, MD and Kevin Roy of Centreville, VA and great-granddaughters Mia and Zoe Walsh of Fairplay MD.

As per his instructions, there will be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ron's name may be made to Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, 10 Alice Peck Day Drive, Lebanon, NH where he received extraordinary care and attention from the entire staff.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, NH.