Shepherd Spencer Neville Brown, Sr.

Shepherd Spencer Neville Brown, Sr. December 29, 1920 - April 12, 2009 Shepherd Spencer Neville Brown, Sr., 88, entered Life Eternal on Sunday, April 12, 2009, at his home, Stanton Hall, in Waco, Texas. Services will be at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 15, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church with the Rev. Chuck Treadwell officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Friends will be received at the family home 5:30 - 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 14. He was married to Margaret Cannon Boyce Brown for 58 years. Their first child, Maria Neville Brown, was called to Heaven on Christmas night, 1961. Spencer Brown, Sr. was born in Meridian, Mississippi on December 29, 1920 to Maria and Stanton Brown who were both members of pioneer Mississippi families who had emigrated from Virginia, North Carolina and New England. At age two, he and his family moved to Waco so that his father, Stanton Brown, could lead Exporters Traders Compress & Warehouse Company after the untimely death of his best friend and brother-in- law, A.J. Dossett. Stanton Brown and A.J. Dossett were best men in each others weddings. With the shippers at that time threatening to bankrupt Exporters and the Dossett family, Stanton Brown's famous response was "we'll see". He sold his Mississippi business and moved his family to Waco. Mr. Brown attended Woodberry Forest Preparatory School in Orange, Virginia, after which he graduated from Baylor University in 1942. Founder of Baylor's honor system at the time under Dean E.N. Jones, Mr. Brown served as president of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce, the Noze Brotherhood and was elected to the Who's Who in College and Universities. When World War II was declared, he immediately joined the United States Navy under their Officer Training School in Chicago, and received his Baylor diploma while on active duty. Given his choice of service, he chose the Destroyer class which saw some of the toughest battles of World War II. Mr. Brown served as Gunnery and Fire Control Officer on the USS Schenck DD 159 and USS Sampson DD 349 in the Atlantic, and on the Attack Transport Griggs APA 110 in the Pacific. On Christmas Eve, 1943 Mr. Brown's ship was the sole survivor of an all night suicide mission to distract a concentration of U-boats from a military convoy, sinking most of the U-boats involved. Mr. Brown left the Navy as Lt. Senior Grade. Upon returning to Waco in 1946, Mr. Brown celebrated by purchasing a Nash Ambassador automobile and a wedding ring which he placed in safekeeping. He then entered Baylor Law school under Dean Abner McCall completing two years, and simultaneously joined the family business. Mr. Brown was well acquainted throughout the state of Texas. While attending the Idlewild Ball in Dallas, Texas he was introduced to his future wife, Margaret Cannon Boyce of Amarillo, Texas. In 1951 they were married at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Amarillo. They honeymooned in Cuba and Guatemala. Spencer Brown Sr. is probably most known for his vision and remarkable business leadership. The former Chairman, president and CEO of Extraco Corporation, led his family business for 63 years. Spencer Brown took over the family business as president in 1959. While carrying on the business practices and family commitment his father established, Spencer Brown added a whole new growth dynamic, and grow he did. Between 1946 and 1959 he doubled the number of plants to 14, and by 1970 he had nearly doubled the plants again to 22. He served in a number of national leadership roles including president of the National Cotton Compress & Cotton Warehousing Association in 1960-61, and director of the Southwestern Compress & Warehouse Association and Cotton Warehouse Association of America. He also served on a number of business boards in the Waco area, including Community State Bank 1960-66, Citizens National Bank 1966-72, Brazos Concrete Company, Rogers Delinted Cotton Seed Co. 1946-82, as well as serving in dozens of executive and officer capacities for ancillary businesses. By 1970, Spencer Brown decided to take the family business to a whole new level with the purchase of First National Bank of Temple. He transformed the business from a cotton compress and warehousing company into the largest and most sophisticated independent financial institution in central Texas. Due to a congressional law change, Exporters was forced to create Extraco under a tax free spin-out in 1980. At the time, Mr. Brown was managing some 35 different cotton warehouses, plants, businesses and other entities, as well as the Temple bank. Extraco thrived, acquiring or opening 14 new bank facilities, creating one of the largest independent bank owned mortgage companies in the United States at the time, and numerous other ancillary businesses to solidify and diversify income streams. Today, Extraco, to his credit, is considered one of the soundest banks in the country. While he was one of Waco's most successful businessmen, Spencer Brown Sr.'s real focus was on family and people. He strove to build people, to serve customers and enrich communities. Extraco's mission today, "to touch lives building secure financial futures and long-term profitable relationships" is a reflection of his values and life mission, as well as that of his father Stanton Brown. Spencer Brown has touched the lives of literally thousands of families across the state of Texas and well beyond who have benefited from his leadership as dedicated employees, shareholders or friends. Many of his employees have worked for the family business for decades. He led by example, and his legacy of integrity, trust, commitment to learning and putting family first is alive and well at Extraco. Spencer Brown Sr. was a man of great and unique community vision. He personally purchased land behind St. Paul's church in the 1950's anticipating its growth needs. Years later, he made a gift of the property which is now used as a playground and gymnasium for St. Paul's Episcopal School. He was regularly counseled on ways to enrich the community. For example, a former Waco resident, Mr. Parrot, offered the City of Waco a major matching grant to establish a community fund. After years of fundraising, only a small sum had been raised and the matching grant expiration date was looming. Mr. Brown conceived the idea and coordinated the contribution of Fort House and East Terrace with the value of their contents, and along with Mrs. Baker Duncan Nalle's gracious gift of her foundation, the Napier Kinnard House and its contents to be used to match funds against the grant and at the same time create what is now the Historic Waco Foundation and establish the Waco Foundation, which continues to be such a blessing to our community. On another occasion, Mr. Brown was involved in early formative discussions with the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University Business School regarding the creation of what is now its highly successful Entrepreneurship Program. These are just a few examples of contributions he has made quietly, and/or anonymously. Mr. Brown also led by example in his personal community service. During his lifetime he served on two dozen local community boards, about half of which he served as chairman or president. In particular, he is a past president/chairman of the fund raising campaign for Providence Hospital 1965, United Way 1963, Hedonia Club of Waco 1951, Vanguard School Board of Trustees 1979, Downtown Rotary Club 1970-71, and St. Paul's Episcopal Day School 1969. He also served as a director and executive committee member of King's Daughters Hospital Board of Trustees Temple - 1970-90, Woodberry Forest Board of Trustees Virginia - 1961-1970, Baylor Alumni Association 1964-67, Waco Library Association, and the Railroad Museum Temple - 1976-82. He was a key founder of Vanguard School, Historic Waco Foundation, and numerous other organizations still flourishing today. He was also honored as King of the Waco Cotton Palace Pageant 1977, and by Vanguard High School whose main building carries his name. He also enjoyed gardening, dove hunting and especially bass fly fishing at Willow Lake. He won 2nd prize for catch and release at Morberg's Wilderness Lodge, Canada with a 32 lb. lake trout fly fishing. Spencer Brown's most important and cherished blessing was that of his faith, church and family. Mr. Brown served as Senior Warden of St. Paul's Episcopal Church 1953, and was deeply involved in numerous roles locally and at the diocesan level. After the untimely death of his eight year old first born daughter on Christmas Night, 1961, he crafted a Sunday school class teaching teenagers the meaning of love. His teachings grew into his first book. He went on to author seven books, many of which are genealogical in nature and a collection of family stories and heritage dating back six centuries to Medieval England that he has passed onto his children and grandchildren. He loved his family very much. Mr. Brown was preceded in death by his parents, Stanton & Maria Frances Giles Neville Brown, his first born daughter, Maria Neville Brown, his granddaughter, Willow Brown and his brother Stanton Brown, Jr. and wife Jacqueline DeCordova Brown who are resting in Heaven. Mr. Brown is survived by his wife, Margaret, four children and their spouses, Shepherd Spencer Neville Brown, Jr. and wife Rebecca Matustik Brown of Waco, Texas, Margaret Curtis Boyce Brown Lewis and husband J. Keet Lewis III of Dallas, Texas, Maria Stanton Boyce Brown Sattler and husband Reverend David Sattler of Puyallup, Washington and Stanton Boyce Brown and wife Len McClane Brown of Waco, Texas; eleven grandchildren, Scott Michael Stem of Denton, Texas, Camilla Frances Rose Harrison Brown, Elise Annabel Matustik Brown and Shepherd Spencer Neville Brown III of Waco, Texas, Margaret Cannon Brown Lewis McClintock and husband Gavin Todd Alexander McClintock, Caroline Camden Neville Lewis of Dallas, Texas, Mariah Stanton Sattler and Margaret Karleen Sattler of Puyallup, Washington and Lella Sue McClane Brown and Annah Stanton Brown of Waco, Texas. He is further survived by brothers and sisters-in-law, Sidney and John Boyce, Jr. of Amarillo, Texas and Anne and Jim Boyce of Santa Fe, New Mexico; nephews and nieces, Vicki and John Boyce III, Ainslee and Beaumont Boyce, Maureen and Peter Boyce, Suzanne and William Boyce, Anne Stuart and Lee Folkes, Dryden and Alison Boyce, Golda and Stan Brown; cousins, John Ballard, Jr., Barbara Ballard, Alethea and Piers Bateman, Lynn and Jim Besselman, Sarah and Howard Bundy, Jane Claflin, Margaret Countiss, Dr. Steve and Jerry Curtis, Dr. Don Curtis, Andrew and Corkie Dossett, Brown and Barbara Dossett, Mary Martha Dossett, Stanton and Dickie Dossett, Ida and Jerry Dwight, Laurel Stinnett Emmett, Frances Evans, Neville Harris, Drane and Alexander Haw, Sarah and Michael Levine, Dossett McCullough, Ed McCullough, Leland McCullough, Jane and John Miller, Sue and John Mobley, Judy and Shep Neville, Carter Neville Dressman, Ann and Fay Pearce, Ann Ray, Frances and John Rodgers, Cullen Smith, Frances and Thomas Swann, Julie Swensson, Cynthia Swift, Sarah and Richard Voyles, and their children and grandchildren. Honorary Pallbearers: Paul Gervais Bell, Jerry Arch Bell, R.D. Patillo, Charles Gervig, Edgar B. Jablownowski, Dr. James Scruggs, Dr. James L. Copeland, Dr. William Long, Julius Heyward Taylor, Jr., J.Sam Winters, Goodhue W. Smith, Douglas Pitts, Robert Sadler, Dr. Walter Hunter, Thomas D. Stribling, Keifer Marshall, Jr., John "Mac" Burrough, Paul Kerr, Lewis R. McReynolds, Michael W. Thompson, Ivan A. Green and James Geeslin. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages gifts to support the endowment of scholarships at Baylor University Entrepreneurial Program c/o Dean of the Hankamer School of Business, One Bear Place #98001, Waco, Texas, 76798-8001; Vanguard College Preparatory School c/o Bill Borg, Head of School, 2517 Mt. Carmel, Waco, Texas, 76710; and St. Paul's Episcopal Day School, c/o Rich Webb, Head of School, 517 Columbus Avenue, Waco, Texas, 76701. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WilkirsonHatchBailey.com.