Michael Anthony Owen Brown

In lieu of flowers, Michael’s family asks that you consider contributing to the Michael Anthony Owen Brown Scholarship Fund to continue his legacy to amplify the impact of student leaders in our community.

https://bit.ly/MichaelAOBrownScholarshipFund

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Michael Anthony Owen Brown

May 22, 1952 - November 2, 2022

Michael Anthony Owen Brown was called to glory on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.  In his last few days, he was sent off in love surrounded by his wife, Barbara, his daughters, Mikisha and Tanilla, and his son-in-law Desmond, and his three grandsons. 

Born on May 22, 1952, in Kingston, Jamaica, Michael was the beloved youngest child of Owen Augustus Brown and Henrietta Mercella Brown.

He naturally excelled in his studies from a young age at Jonestown Primary School.  He graduated with top honors and awards from secondary school, Kingston College, in Jamaica and completed a Bachelor of Law at the University of West Indies in Barbados.  He was in the second graduating class of the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, and he became an accomplished attorney.  Michael married the love of his life, Barbara Delores Reeves in 1974. He dedicated his early legal career to public service. Michael served as the Clerks of Court for the Resident Magistrate’s Court in St. Catherine, Jamaica and was also the Crown Counsel for the Jamaica Attorney General’s Office. He was an Associate at Thwaites, Fairclough, Watson, and Company before migrating to the U.S. with his wife and two daughters in 1984.

Like many accomplished professionals that migrated to the US, Michael had to re-establish himself. He completed legal internships with the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office and the New York City Law Department. He also completed advanced studies at Brooklyn Law School’s Foreign Trained Lawyers Program.  Michael was admitted to the New York Bar Association in 1988. He served as a Staff Attorney at Bronx Legal Services from 1988-1996, providing legal services designed to address both the systemic causes of concentrated poverty and to ameliorate the impact of poverty on families and individuals. Michael was the Founding Director of the Law Office of Michael A.O. Brown P.C. from 2001-2018 in Chinatown, New York City. His firm employed a team of over 25 legal professionals including attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants. In 2018, Michael retired as an accomplished Attorney with expertise in multiple facets of Immigration and Naturalization Law, Criminal, and Civil Law.  Over his career, Michael served thousands of clients with passion, dedication, and integrity. He was admitted to practice in all 11 circuit Court of Appeals, U.S Federal Court, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, New York Bar Supreme Court Appellate Division (Third Department).  

Michael was deeply committed to his faith and community service.  He was a member of the Salvation Army Church for over 40 years.  He served as a soup kitchen volunteer, Missionary Sergeant, and was a member of the Emergency Disaster Response Team. Michael was an active member of several legal organizations, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Jamaican American Bar Association North East, New York State Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Bridgeport branch of the NAACP.  Michael also mentored young people in his community and encouraged youth to explore learning opportunities that challenged them to develop skills and talents they could leverage to achieve their academic, career, and personal goals.

While Michael’s family is deeply grieved by his sudden passing, they are also filled with joy and pride reflecting on his life of steadfast loyal love, perseverant faith, gritty determination, clever humor, and abundant generosity.  Michael is survived by his wife of 48 years, Barbara; his daughter,  Mikisha Nation (husband Desmond Nation, Jr.) and grandchildren, Desmond III, Marcellus, and Victor; his daughter Dr. Tanilla Brown; and his goddaughters Kiesha Jones (husband Marlon Jones) and Janay Mason. Michael was preceded in death by his brother Keith Brown and his  sisters Grace Ann Walters, Alma “Maggie” Brown, Faye Brown, and Millicent Brown.  He is survived by siblings Thelma Map, Dorothy Parkinson, Donald Brown, Llewelyn  “Buster” Brown,  and Linnette Brown. Michael is additionally survived by his dearest cousins Wesley DeMercado, Cecileen DeMercado, Owen DeMercado, Sandra “Pinky” DeMercado, and Herbert Carl DeMercado;  many beloved nieces and nephews; and numerous close friends and esteemed colleagues.

A wake will be held on Friday, November 18, 2022 from 6:00-8:00 PM at Redgate Hennessy, 4 Gorham Place, Trumbull, CT 06611. 

A home-going service to celebrate the life of Michael Anthony Owen Brown will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Fairfield, 2475 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield, CT 06825 on Saturday November 19, 2022 starting at 9:00AM. Following the service and burial, all are invited to return to First Presbyterian Church of Fairfield for the Repast Luncheon. 

All who wish to attend are wholeheartedly invited to participate either in-person or via Zoom https://bit.ly/MichaelAOBrownWake. Homegoing Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/MichaelAOBrownHomegoing.  (Pass Code: Tony).

In lieu of flowers, Michael’s family asks that you consider contributing to the Michael Anthony Owen Brown Scholarship Fund https://bit.ly/MichaelAOBrownScholarshipFund. to continue his legacy to amplify the impact of student leaders in our community.