Daniel "Dan" Bruce Brown

About Dan

We are saddened to share the news that Daniel "Dan" Brown died on August 11th after a medical emergency and the complications of surgery at the age of 78. He was the beloved husband of 42 years (to the day) to the love of his life, Diane. He was a devoted father to David and his wife, Anna Williams, to Jessica Toohil and her husband, Jeff, and to Sarah MacDonald. He was a loving grandfather of six grandchildren – Sam, Jack, Jane, Jasmine, Felix, and Simon. He was a dedicated dog dad to his beloved rescue pup, Sophie, who preceded him in death by a month at the ripe old age of 16. He leaves a sister-in-law, nephews and nieces, cousins and many dear friends and colleagues.

He was raised in Worcester, MA, the son of Arnold and Estelle (Newman) Brown. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Clifford. He attended Worcester Public Schools and Worcester Academy. He played on basketball teams throughout high school and never tired of reminding people that his team won the Worcester city championship against a more favored team. He graduated from Clark University where he obtained a BA in English in 1970. Following graduation, his father’s illness and death and the closing of the family business, Dan returned to his true love, writing. He applied himself to his craft, and attended programs at the Boston Center for Adult Education, where one of his instructors was Kurt Vonnegut, who saw great talent and promise in him. Dan remained a lifelong fan of Vonnegut’s work and quoted him frequently. Dan found a writer’s home in advertising copywriting. He worked for several Rhode Island agencies until he got a job at Arnold & Company in Boston. He always said the best thing that came out of his years at Arnold was meeting Diane, followed by notable campaigns and ads. He also worked at Cabot Advertising, Hill Holliday, and Rizzo, Simons Cohn, where he added even more broadcast work to his portfolio. Some of his favorite work was done for the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), where he not only produced an award-winning campaign, but he also had the unique experience of directing radio spots with Vincent Price. Imagine Diane’s astonishment when the great actor said, “Dan, call me Vincent,” and “Dan, how can I do this better?” Imagine her even greater shock when she overheard Dan say things like, "Yes, Vincent, that was great. Can we try it one more time with a little more emphasis at the end?”

Dan also did great work for clients including Fidelity, the New England Aquarium, Roger Williams Hospital, McDonald's and scores of other clients large and small, from large businesses to small non-profits. He wrote a winning campaign for NYNEX featuring comedy greats Bob & Ray. He worked with a young Seth Green, as well as the noted voice talents of Bob Colonna (son of Jerry Colonna) and John Moschitta, known for his fast-talking delivery.

He always took the time to meet with aspiring copywriters and pore over their fledgling portfolios. Some of them had talent, some did not, but he always strove to find something good to say. He would read every bit of copy and loved being able to say to a young writer that somewhere, buried deep in the third paragraph, was the winning phrase or idea. He would say, “Do you see this sentence? That’s your headline. Move it to the top, cut the clutter, and focus on that one idea.” What Kurt Vonnegut did for him, he worked to do for others.

Following the birth of his son, Dave, Dan turned to freelance advertising so he could work at home and be a hands-on dad. His easy manner and fast turnaround made him a top choice by his many prior colleagues in the agency business. He also started a business of funny Jewish greeting cards, and he licensed some other ideas to bCreative, an agency that licenses funny cards, calendars and other materials. He also obtained a trademark on some titles for auto racing merchandise.

In his spare time, he turned to his original career goal, fiction. His first novel helped him snag an Independent Publisher IPPY silver medal. At the time of his death, he had three additional books being marketed by his literary agent and one under consideration for a screenplay by a prominent production house. Diane, working with his agent, will continue to see those become a reality. He was a lover of the written word, a guy who would read a sentence four or five times just because it was a really, REALLY good sentence. He read and reread Vonnegut, Steinbeck, Twain, Heller, and Isaac Bashevis Singer. It took him forever to finish reading a book because he kept stopping to appreciate the writing or jot down some gem of inspiration.

He was an avid jogger, piling on the miles in 6-mile increments four times a week, well into his 70s. He called himself a “plodder” and not a runner. He loved watching “real running” at Dave’s cross country and track meets through high school and college, plus a number of marathons in Boston and elsewhere, including Dave’s run in 2017 and 2019 and Anna’s brutal run in a cold, driving rain in 2018. He had great insight and a phenomenal sense of humor. He loved deeply and forever. He was deeply sustained by Judaism, its ethics, its wisdom, its community. He attended services when his health permitted, and he was always there when either Diane or Dave were on the bimah or in the Purim spiel.

A private celebration of Dan’s life will be held in his new home in Minnesota.

Please omit flowers. Donations in his memory may be made to:

Animal rescue work of Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton (MA)

https://baypathhumane.org/support-us/tribute/

Lifelong Learning Fund of Temple Emanuel Sinai, Worcester, MA.

https://emanuelsinai.org/learning/lifelong-learning/

May his memory be a blessing.

memorial service

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Crescent Tide Cremation Services