Forrest Lonnie Brown

Forrest Lonnie Brown passed peacefully on Monday, September 6, 2021, at home in the company of his family. He was a loving husband, grandfather, and friend and was welcomed home with open arms.

Lonnie, as he was called by his friends and family, was born in Abilene, Texas on Saturday, July 9, 1927. He was raised by his loving parents, Lonnie and Gladys Brown and spent most of his childhood in Altus, Oklahoma. Lonnie graduated high school from Altus High in 1946. He met his wife to be, Pauline Inklebarger, while working at the Altus Movie Theater. They were married on August 7, 1948. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1951 and remained a dedicated OSU fan his entire life.

Lonnie was a veteran who served two terms in the Army. His first term was served as an enlisted man in the Pacific Theater M.O.S.: 8th Army Engineers, 57th Field Artillery Battalions, and the 7th Infantry Division at the end of WWII. With the outbreak of the Korean War, he was called to serve again, this time as a commissioned officer as the Commander at Camp San Luis Obispo for Signal Corps Training. Lonnie was a true patriot who was honored to have served his country. The Veteran's Administration took excellent care of him the last few years of his life.

Lonnie was an optimist and a creative entrepreneur. He always sought to discover what might be possible in all his endeavors, both in terms of work and of life in general. He became an accomplished land developer in Albuquerque and Placitas, New Mexico. In the course of his work life, he developed Ranchos de Placitas, just west of Placitas, New Mexico, and Glenwood Hills in Albuquerque. In the 1970s, his entrepreneurial spirit took him to the Big Island of Hawaii, where he acquired and rehabilitated what was at the time the largest macadamia nut orchard in the world, Mac Farms of Hawaii, situated on the southwest side of the island near the little fishing village of Milolii. He loved Hawaii and came to know and embrace the culture, the people, and the land. Eventually, he moved his family to the Big Island, providing wonderful travel and learning opportunities for them.

Lonnie was an active member at the Northeast Albuquerque Church, and his church family surrounded him and provided great assistance and comfort to him in his later years.

Lonnie resided at Paloma Landing and became a much-loved member of the community. The management and staff took good care of him, and his fellow residents loved him and shared many meals and experiences with him. He loved his community, and he will be greatly missed there.

He is survived and will be greatly missed by his oldest son, Lonnie Jay Brown; his son, David Brown, both of Albuquerque; and David's fraternal twin brother, Robert Brown of Ojai, California; his daughter, Paula Jean Brown of Albuquerque; as well as his brother-in-law, Richard Inklebarger and his wife, Valerie of Albuquerque; four granddaughters, Claire Brown of Albuquerque, Dianna and Kendra Brown of Sacramento, California, and Patsy Gelb of Tucson, Arizona. Lonnie was preceded in death by his sister and dear friend, Mary Brown McAlister.

A Memorial Service and Interment will take place on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 9:45 a.m., at Santa Fe National Cemetery. Donations and Memorial contributions in the name of Forrest Lonnie Brown can be mailed to Veterans Integration Centers at 13032 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM or online at nmic.org/donate/. Veterans Integration Center helps veterans attain housing, mental health counseling, clothing, hygiene items, food, and transportation.

He was a bright light.