The Reverend Lyle Leslie Brown (Lyle), 86 years, passed away Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at his home in Fort Madison, Iowa. He was born January 26, 1937, in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Leslie Elden and Edna (Dann) Brown. Lyle had a love of new technology and gadgets, organ music, his family, church, community, and the Iowa Hawkeyes! He will be remembered for his intelligence, thoughtful guidance, and sharp wit.
Lyle was raised in Clinton, Iowa, and graduated from Clinton High School in 1954. He attended the University of Iowa receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography in 1959, and a Master’s Degree in Student Personnel in 1964. He spent two years in Army military service at Fort Riley, Kansas, from 1961-63. On August 26, 1967, he married Gwendolen Zeitler at Union Presbyterian Church, Fort Madison, Iowa, and they continued to live in Denver, Colorado, pursuing their doctorate degrees at the University of Denver.
After the birth of Megan, their first child, Lyle and Gwen moved to Newberry, South Carolina, where he served as Dean of Students at Newberry College. In 1973, they moved to Columbia, SC, which they would call home for 30 years and where their second child, Matthew, was born. Lyle worked at the South Carolina Department of Social Services in Columbia for 28 years as a Supervisor and Assistant Director writing policy for aid to families with dependent children. He was a devoted father, raising Megan and Matthew, while doing volunteer work for St. Mary’s Episcopal Church where he served as a lay reader and assistant treasurer, and sang in the choir. He also helped Gwen care for her parents and his mother who lived with the family for 11 years, along with beloved cats and Lyle’s favorite English bulldogs.
After retiring, Gwen convinced Lyle to return to her Iowa hometown with the condition they would have a house on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. After securing a sought after lot and working on a design with Megan, they built a new house and moved back in 2001, becoming very involved in the Fort Madison community. Together they enjoyed their river view, and hosted friends and events like fireworks on the 4th of July, high school reunions, and the Feast of St. Nicholas for St. Luke’s Church.
Lyle was a dedicated member of the Episcopal Church for more than 60 years, becoming an Ordained Priest at St. Luke’s in Fort Madison in 2010, and known fondly as “Father Dad” to his kids. As part of the St. Luke’s Ministry Development Team, Lyle served in a volunteer capacity with 4 others to provide clergy to the church. This experimental program of the Iowa Episcopal Diocese brought Lyle into a leadership role at the local and state level. He was also able to baptize his grandchildren Gavin and Caroline, and through the church continue his interest in working with students. Coupled with his devotion to the church was his interest in organ music which he often traveled to hear and listened to on his favorite YouTube channels.
Lyle held several volunteer jobs in the community in retirement in addition to his role at St. Luke’s. He served on Fort Madison’s Planning and Zoning Commission for over 15 years, as well as the Old Fort Genealogical Society, and North Lee County Historical Society. He was co-chair with his wife for the Park-to-Park Historic District nomination and listing in the National Register of Historic Places and rescued two condemned Main Street buildings, fixing them up and bringing them back into service. His commitment to Fort Madison included the preservation of the 1812 Battlefield Site, and his support for the rehabilitation of Central Park, the Sunday band concerts in Central Park, and the YMCA Test Kitchen.
Lyle was a proud Iowa Hawkeye alum and could be seen sporting black and gold on game day and his license plate. That pride in the University of Iowa and his commitment to helping young people seek higher education led to the establishment of the Gwen & Lyle Brown Scholarship Fund which supports selected incoming freshman from Fort Madison and Clinton High Schools. To date, over 50 young people have received a scholarship, and Lyle continued contact and support with several of them, tracking their success.
The adventure of travel was important to Lyle, and he ensured that the family took several trips to Europe to see the history and culture as well as spending time researching and meeting an extensive group of relatives in Wales and England. In retirement he loved to travel with Gwen, and they enjoyed many memorable vacations in Europe, China, Thailand, Alaska, and Russia as well as the US, with a highlight of traveling the Mississippi on the American Queen. He was a sharp investor, and even set up a family cattle business on the 5th generation pasture land in Kansas which he managed with his children, teaching them about business and responsibility.
Lyle is survived by his children, daughter Megan Brown in Alexandria, VA, son Matthew Brown (Abby his wife) in Apex, NC, and his faithful cat Romeo. He was a devoted grandfather to Gavin and Caroline Brown and enjoyed building Legos with Caroline. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Gwen. Thanks to his interest in genealogy, the history of the family has been documented back prior to the Revolutionary War to Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and England.
Cremation has been entrusted to the care of King-Lynk Funeral Home & Crematory. A memorial service for family and friends will be held at a later date at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Online condolences to the Brown family may be left at the King-Lynk Funeral home & Crematory website: www.kinglynk.com.
Memorials in Lyle’s honor may be made to University of Iowa Center for Advancement, 1 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242 for the Gwen & Lyle Brown Scholarship Fund or St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 605 Avenue E, Fort Madison, IA 52627 for the St. Luke’s Discretionary Fund.
