George Burton Brown
Possible duplicate of Burton Brown (fl. 1965) (p≈0.94) — WikiBot estimates, not merged; please review.
| George Burton Brown | |
|---|---|
| Burt Brown | |
| Born | 1909-09-16 Port Arthur, Ontario |
| Died | 2014-07-10 Thunder Bay |
| Occupation | Automobile dealer, aviation engineer, resort owner |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Partner | |
George Burton "Burt" Brown (16 September 1909 – 10 July 2014 (aged 104)) was a Port Arthur-born businessman who founded Brown's Resort at English River.[1]
Early life
"At that time, he was the fourth generation of Browns living [at Prince Arthur's Landing, later known as] Port Arthur. His father was W. Russell Brown and his mother the former Georgia Smith."[1] The Browns first arrived in 1855, and the Smith family settled at Westfort in 1877. His father was a Port Arthur alderman for 16 years and died in 1985, aged 104. Burt attended the "Hill" School on Carrie Street (1914), Prospect School, the Old High School, Pine Street School and Port Arthur Collegiate Institute, and then transferred to Fort William Collegiate and Technical School.[1]
Career
After an apprenticeship at Durant Motors of Canada in Leaside and at the Chandler Motor Car Co. in Cleveland, he worked in the automobile business with his father from 1927 to 1933. He bought his first speedboat in 1929 and later built three fast boats, all named Miss Behave.[1]
In 1935 he cut down the first tree at English River on the uncompleted Trans-Canada Highway and built a service station there, which grew into Brown's Resort.[1] Rejected by the armed services in the Second World War because of a physical disability, he joined No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School at the Fort William airport and became Assistant Chief Engineer. When Curtiss Helldiver production began he moved to Canada Car, and he finished the war in charge of the pre-flight hangar at the airport.[1]
After the war he ran the English River business until he retired in 1967. He was vice-president of the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association for six years and president of the local Motel and Tourist Operators Association. In 1965 the West Fort William Kiwanis Club named him Sportsman of the Year.[1]
Later life
He wrote a memoir, Through the Years with Burt Brown. He received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and was a life member of the Thunder Bay Museum.[1]
Family
- Married Mary Florence Brown (née King) on 16 September 1938.[2] They were married for 63 years, until May's death in 2002. Their son Jordee died in 1943.[1]
Death
He died at home on 10 July 2014, in his 105th year.[1]