William Marion Brown

Dr. William Marion Brown, a retired Little Rock dentist, avid photographer, and world traveler, died on Feb. 12, 2012, in Seattle, Wash., after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease. He was 95. A devoted Arkansan, Dr. Brown and his wife moved to Seattle in 2003 to be near family. He was saddened that ailing health prohibited a return to the state he dearly loved. Dr. Brown was born April 18, 1916, in Marianna, Ark., the only child of William Nathaniel Brown and Elmo Prince Brown. His mother's family was among the earliest settlers of Lee County. After graduating from Marianna High School in 1934, Dr. Brown attended the University of Arkansas where he studied the sciences and honed his social skills at the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Both prepared him well for a career making people happy about their smiles. He earned a D.D.S. from the University of Tennessee School of Dentistry in 1940 and opened a practice in Marianna. While in dental school he had fallen in love with Catherine Fuller Porter of Memphis, Tenn. They married in 1941. Their daughter, Catherine Coleman Brown, was born in 1942. Dr. Brown was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War II and served in the Philippines. After the war, he moved his family to Little Rock where he practiced dentistry until his retirement in 1988. He was a consummate professional and dedicated to his patients. He served on the State Board of Dental Examiners and was a member of the American College of Dentists. In 1964, he was inducted into the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry. Dr. Brown was a sportsman who enjoyed fishing and hunting, but gradually his passion for the outdoors found its outlet in nature photography. During retirement, the professional perfectionist found his smile behind the camera lens. He made numerous photographic "safaris" in the American West and took many trips abroad with his wife to capture the world one frame at a time. These trips gave them the happiest times of their long life together. Dr. Brown was a communicant at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. He was a vestryman and a member of the board of Trinity Episcopal Day School. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Little Rock (a Paul Harris Fellow) and of The Country Club of Little Rock. In addition to his wife of 71 years, he is survived by his only child and her husband, Catherine and Thurston Roach of Seattle, by grandchildren Cecile Delafield (John), Catherine Roche (Stephan), John Thurston Roach III (Stacy Chatfield) and Marion Zaniello (Benjamin) and by ten great grandchildren, all of Seattle.