Leland Blair Brown Sr.

Leland Blair Brown, Sr., 91, of Port Deposit, Maryland, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2026, at his daughter’s home in Perryville. Born on July 27, 1934, at home in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Leland Nelson and Elizabeth Blair Brown.

A chemist by profession, Leland owned and operated the Delaware Valley Laboratories. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College, where he was a member of Sigma Chi, and served in the U.S. Army from June 1954 to June 1962 as a Chinese linguist. Deeply involved in his community, he was a longtime member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Perryville, a charter member and lifelong Rotarian of the North East Rotary Club—where he served as president and received the Paul Harris Fellow Award with five saplings—and a member of the Rising Sun American Legion Post No. 194.

Leland cherished his summers on the Chesapeake Bay, becoming an accomplished sailor and captain. He was an avid gardener who grew flowers, fruits, and vegetables, a dedicated beekeeper who shared his knowledge with schoolchildren, and a man who loved jazz music, travel to faraway places, and a good beer. He was equally at home tinkering in his wood shop or restoring old cars. Above all, he was known for his generous heart, his unmistakable loud “hot chicken!” sneezes, and his deep faith. For more than twenty years, he and his wife, Jean, opened their home in Chester County, Pennsylvania, to many foster children, offering them stability and love. He remained a loving servant in his faith and was always ready for the next adventure.

He is survived by his daughters, Carolyn Taylor Brown and Julie Ellen Busseau; sons, Leland Blair Brown, Jr., and Jeffrey Thomas Brown; sons-in-law, Bob Taylor and Robert Busseau; daughter-in-law, Linda Nunez; four grandsons, Ashton, Samuel, Caelan, and Leland; his brother, William Malcolm Brown and sister-in-law, Emily Brown; and brother-in-law, Matthew Arrell and sister-in-law, Patti Arrell. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jean C. Brown; brothers, William “Billy” Thompson Brown, Nelson Harry Brown, and Herbert Thompson Brown; and his sister, Dorothy Brown Lewandowski.