In Memory of the Honorable Mayor Ralph T. Brown, Jr.

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated father, loving son, inspiring brother, and purposeful public Servant, dutiful soldier, and friend of longstanding, Mayor Ralph T. Brown, Jr. Sadly, Mayor Brown passed from labor to reward on March 24, 2023. A funeral service to celebrate his remarkable life was held on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Josh Gibson Center in Buena Vista, Georgia.

The journey of Mayor Ralph Brown began on January 10, 1960, when he was born to the union of Marie Fudge Brown and the late Ralph T. Brown, Sr. in Buena Vista, Marion County, Georgia. He was educated in the Marion County School System, graduating in 1977 from Tri-County High School. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1980 and served honorably as an Administrative Specialist and Recruiter.

During his service, he received numerous awards and commendations including Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Advance Level, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbons, M16 Expert Qualification Badge Driver and Mechanic Badge, and Driver-W, U.S. Army, Gold Recruiter Badge. His duty stations included Ft. Knox, Kentucky, USARB Columbus, RC, and Overseas. He retired as Sergeant First Class with 21 years of service.

After retiring from the Army, Mayor Brown moved back to his beloved Buena Vista, eager to make a difference. He quickly became involved in the community, ultimately being elected Mayor. Mayor Brown served the citizens of Buena Vista with great distinction from 2000 to 2020, following in the footsteps of his mother who served on the City Council and as Mayor Pro Tem. Mayor Brown was a consensus builder during his time as Mayor. He was always looking for common ground with his ultimate goal being the betterment of Buena Vista. He retired as Mayor in 2020 and passed the baton to his brother, Mayor Kevin Brown, continuing the family tradition of public service. Mayor Brown's propensity for service did not stop at the Mayor's Office. He was a community specialist with the West Central Georgia Community Action Council and a program coordinator with The Student Transition and Recovery Program (STAR) Program at the Macon County Board of Education. Mayor Brown was also a member of the American Legion Post 309 and the Mayor of Georgia Committee. The great agricultural chemist George Washington Carver once said that ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Mayor Ralph Brown was concerned about the ``least of these'' during his life and made that passion his life's work.

But more than that, he was driven by his faith. God ordered the steps of his life. He was a dedicated member of the Poplar Spring Baptist Church and a member of a weekly bible study group--(Men Talk).

On a personal note, Mayor Brown was my friend of long standing. He never told me what I wanted to hear, but he always told me what he felt I needed to hear. I will miss his wise advice and sage counsel. Mayor Brown accomplished much in his life, but none of it would have been possible without the Grace of God and the support of his family including his beloved mother, Marie Fudge Brown; his children, Leisha Hunter; Lakisha Hunter Echols; and April Brown-Swan; and a host of family and friends who will miss him deeply.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with the more than 765,000 constituents of Georgia's Second Congressional District in paying tribute to Mayor Ralph T. Brown, Jr. and in extending our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time of bereavement. Moreover, we pray that we will all be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith, and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead. To God be the Glory for the life and legacy of Mayor Ralph T. Brown, Jr.

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