May 2, 1941 – November 29, 2021

Mr. John Richard Brown, 80, known as “Richard” joined his wife Mary Bunella Collins Brown to be with God on Monday, December 29, 2021. Richard died at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tenn.

He was born to Mrs. Helen Brown Tigg on May 2, 1941, in Washington County, Gladys Springs, Virginia.

Richard was originally from Bristol, Tennessee, where he graduated from Slater High School in 1959. He attended school at Lane College, the University of Buffalo and East Tennessee State University where he graduated a BS in Corporate Finance from ETSU.

From 1963, Richard worked for the Sperry Corporation of Bristol for seven years. He then left to start a new career as a printing machinist in Rochester, NY He quickly decided he had a real passion for being an entrepreneur and opened two Hallmark stores and other businesses in the city of Rochester, New York, where he resided for 20 years. In the mid-1980s, he opened a successful and elite cigar store called The Smoke Shop in Sarasota, Florida, where he resided for 6 years. In 1988 John Richard Brown returned to Bristol, Tenn., And on June 8, 1988, he married his college and high school girlfriend, Mary Bunella Collins Brown of Bristol, Tenn. He then began a new career in teaching with People Inc. of Bristol, Virginia. He has successfully trained small business owners and community members on how to become independent entrepreneurs. In 1994, the course he taught in Business Basics was the most popular course in town and had people from Lee and Carroll counties to take his course according to the Bristol Herald Courier / Virginia Tennessean published November 11, 1996. Richard was a member of John Wesley United Methodist Church and was a member of the United Methodist Men. He was also a member of the civic organization, The Orion Club of Bristol.

John Richard Brown leaves to cherish his memory, a daughter-in-law, Mrs. Jenai L. Hayes (Millard Hayes III); a favorite grandson, Millard Collin Hayes IV; close cousins, Millie Saunders, Manual Gammon, Jackson Meade and Wilba Meade; and a host of friends from the Slater High School Reunion Board and the Bristol Tennessee community.

The family would like to thank the many loyal friends, his church family at John Wesley United Methodist Church, and the amazing staff at St. Thomas Medical Hospital in Nashville, Tenn. The family would also like to express their gratitude to everyone for their support during this time. of mourning. In lieu of flowers, please donate to help support John Wesley United Methodist Church in Jenai Hayes, PO BOX 40352, Nashville, TN 37204, or JW. United Methodist, Drucilla Hagans, PO Box 3552, Bristol, TN 37620.

Visitations will be held on Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Graveside will follow at Eastern Heights Cemetery, 421 Old Jonesboro Rd.

Terrell Broady Funeral Home

3855 Clarksville Pike, Nashville TN 37218