Otho Williford Brown, Jr. age 68, passed away January 10, 2007 at Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden Triangle in Columbus, MS. Services will be held at First Baptist Church on Saturday, January 13, 2007 at 11:00 AM with Dr. Shawn Parker and Rev. Ron Delgado officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will be at Memorial Funeral Home on Friday, January 12, 2007 from 6-9 PM. Mr. Brown was born on June 27, 1938 in Meridian,MS to the late Otho W. and Mamie Lois Volking Brown Sr. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Columbus. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by one son Frank Brandon Brown. Mr. Brown served as President and CEO of Magnolia State School Products, Inc. of Columbus from 1978-2007. He was an educational representative with Martin School Equipment Company in Jackson for 11 years receiving the National Sales Award by American Desk Manufacturing Company in 7 out of the 11 years of representation. Mr. Brown was also a teacher and a coach in Columbus Public Schools from 1959-1967. He was responsible for coaching basketball, baseball, filming games, organizing football programs, selling of all the ads in the program, and the promotional and management of all pre-season ticket sales, which rose in sales excess of 3000 in football. They were runners ups for AAA-A State Championship in 1959, Mississippi AAA-A State Champion in 1960, North State Runner-up in 1961-1962-and 1963, Regional Runner-ups in 1964, North State Runner-ups in 1965, and Regional Runner-up in 1966 all under his leadership. His collegiate athletic participation included the University of Mississippi, Sanford University Basketball and Baseball in 1956 and East Mississippi Jr. College Basketball and Baseball, Miss State Jr. College Champions in 1958. In 1963 he was offered the assisting coaching position by the legendary Babe McCarthy, Head Basketball Coach at Mississippi State University. During this period Mississippi State University won 4 SEC Championships. He served on a request basis as a recruiting evaluator and performed scouting of opposing SEC teams for coach McCarthy. He taught basketball classes at MSU for Coach McCarhty during his absence due to out of town games. In 1964 he was offered the assistant coaching position by Lee Floyd, Head Basketball Coach at the University of Southern Mississippi. Mr. Brown accomplishments include: In 1962 served as President of the Lowndes County Alumni Association and was awarded all awards given by Mississippi State University. He had the largest quota enrollment in the nation, largest increase in membership in the nation, and the Most Outstanding Chapter in the nation. He served as Mississippi State University Alumni Membership Chairman for the state of Mississippi in 1963. In 1964 he initiated the first girls softball program for the city of Columbus and developed the Intramural Football Program for the Columbus Public Schools while performing other teaching and coaching duties. Seven years after the conception of this program on New Years Day, in five major bowl games that were played, Columbus was represented in 10 teams by 37 athletes from the Columbus Intramural Program. He served as Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Columbus from 1963-1967. While serving in this position he directed the Dixie Youth World Series Baseball games each year. He sold the first Audio Instructional Center in the United States to Columbus Public Schools in 1974. He sold the largest Platform Riser Basketball Bleacher installation in the world to Mississippi University for Women. He is a 1956 graduate of Stephen D. Lee High School, 1957 graduate of University of Mississippi, he graduated East Mississippi Junior College in 1958, and in 1960 he graduated Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. In 1962 he graduated Mississippi State University with a Masters Degree in administration and Guidance. He is survived by his wife-Lanelle Brown of West Point, MS; son-William Thad Brown (Christa) of Charleston AFB, S.C.;Grandchild-William Brucker Brown of Charleston AFB, S.C.; Aunt-Mrs. Marion Jellenc of Mobile, Al; stepdaughter- Susan Brockway (Paul) of Las Vegas, NV; step-son-George Wilson (Andrea) of Albuquerque, NM; step-daughter-Holly Garcia (Chris) of Columbus, MS; 8- step-grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Tommy Parker, Bill Cade, Homer Swain, Paul Adams, Dave Gaskins, Robert Phillips, Bill Russell, Bob Hudson Honorary Pallbearers will be J.D. "Tuffy" Bourland, Frank Griffin, Corky Palmer, Dr. Rick Young, Willie Taylor, Catherine and Michael Kirby, Billy Gilbert, Johnny Allen Stanley Morgan, George Washington, The Swain Family, Joe Childers, Bart Wise, Don Kuehn, James Williams, close friends and associates. Memorials can be made to East Mississippi Community College, P.O. Box 158,Scooba MS 39358; Northeast Mississippi Community College, 101 Cunningham Blvd, Booneville MS, 38829; YMCA, 602 2nd Ave North, Columbus MS 39701; American Cancer Society, 1380 Livingston Lane, Jackson.
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