Robert “Bob” Brown, a World War II veteran, former mayor of East Point, and a central figure in Cobb County aviation, died on Aug. 7 at age 98.
Born Dec. 10, 1926 in Waycross, Georgia, Brown was one of six children. He and his three brothers all served in the military. After enlisting in the Navy as a seaman on PT boats during World War II, Brown was stationed in Japan as part of the occupation force following the war’s end. During a visit to the Kiwanis Club of Metro-Marietta in November 2023, Brown recalled his service days: “We spent a lot of time on the beaches, and in the shrimp boats when I was growing up.” He also described witnessing Nagasaki shortly after it was bombed: “War is not like it was. That city was absolutely erased. (…) If we have another (nuclear bombing), I shudder for the world.”
After returning from the war, Brown studied engineering at Georgia Tech before transferring to the University of Georgia for business studies. When the Korean War began, he joined the Army through a program that commissioned men with both college and previous service experience as lieutenants.
Brown moved to East Point after leaving military service with the rank of captain. There he started selling aviation insurance—earning his pilot’s license as part of his new job—and entered local politics after opposing a proposed tax on insurance policies. “The people in East Point decided they would put a tax on every insurance policy sold, and (insurance brokers) were indignant. So we stormed the next meeting (…) And we knew the only way we’re going to get this corrected is to have one of us run for office,” Brown said.
In 1968 he became East Point’s first and only Republican mayor, serving until 1972 before stepping down: “didn’t understand city government,” he said.
Following his term as mayor and completion of an M.B.A. at Georgia State University, Brown founded Atlanta Northside Aviation at Cobb County International Airport — McCollum Field. He led Northside Aviation from its start in 1972 until retirement in 2000.
Thomas Huff, current CEO of Northside Aviation, credited Brown with transforming McCollum Field into an economic engine: “In his capacity as CEO (Brown) laid the groundwork for the development and expansion of the airport (…). Mr. Brown recognized that in order to attract business to Cobb County that an airport must have the facilities to support this new business (…). Northside Aviation was the founding aircraft services provider that got the Cobb County Airport out of the red and made the airport the $125 million annual economic engine it is today.” Huff added: “I will miss Mr. Brown’s friendship and advice (…). He would humbly share business advice that was consistent (with) his strong Christian beliefs, with a focus on fair dealing, kindness, humility and occasionally charity.”
Brown spent retirement with family members including his sister Virginia Brown; he remained active as president or commissioner for several regional organizations and taught Sunday school at First Presbyterian Church of Marietta into his nineties.
Joe Evans, senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church, spoke about Brown’s dedication: “He did everything he could to be in church on Sunday morning (…) He is going to be missed deeply by all kinds of folks.”
Survivors include daughters Margaret-Ann Buchanan (and husband Jim), V. Susan Kearney (and husband Steve), sister Virginia Brown along with nieces and nephews; he was preceded in death by wife Iris Owen Brown after nearly sixty years together.
A celebration of life will take place Thursday at First Presbyterian Church of Marietta.
