| Sources |
- [S56] John Deitz, Personal Knowledge.
- [S49] Long Island Advance (Long Island Advance, 20 Medford Ave, Patchogue, NY), 13 Sep 2012.
Hugh Needham Brown, 83, of Brookhaven, passed away Aug. 25. Mr. Brown attended the University of Illinois, earning a B.S., M.S. and Ph. D. in physics, and worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory from 1956 to 1996. During his 40 years at the Lab, he was internationally recognized as the authority on particle beam optics, and the design of particle beam lines, and was instrumental in earning three Nobel Prizes with his
colleagues.
He is survived by his children, H. Alex Brown and Elise Brown and their spouses, Karen Weisgerber and Martha Piscuskas; his sisters and their families, Jane Myers,
Isabel Harshbarger and Emily Clemens; and by his grandchildren, Emma and Cate
Brown, Rose Piscuskas and Seth Brown. He was predeceased by his wife, Virginia,
in 1992.
Mr. Brown was buried next to his wife in Woodland Cemetery in Bellport. A celebration of his life will be held Sept. 22, 1 p.m., at St. James Episcopal Church in Bellport. Contributions may be made to: The Virginia Brown Scholarship Fund of the Brookhaven Village Association, PO Box 167, Brookhaven, NY, 11719; or Partners in Health, 888 Commonwealth Ave., 3rd Floor, Boston, MA, 02215.
- [S1226] article, Brookhaven Bulletin, weekly newpaper for Laboratory employees, Upton (Brookhaven National Laboratory), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY,,, 12 Sep 2012.
Hugh Brown, who joined the Accelerator Department on May 14, 1956, as an assistant physicist, and retired as a senior physicist with tenure on November 30, 1996, died at 83 on August 25, 2012. Internationally recognized as an authority on particle beam optics, he and colleagues designed beams at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron for three experiments that earned Nobel Prizes. After retirement, he remained a guest scientist until September 30, 2001.
The following obituary is provided by Elise Brown.
Hugh Needham Brown, 83, of Brookhaven, NY died at his residence on August 25, 2012. He was born September 12, 1928, in Champaign, IL, to Carrie Needham and Hugh Alexander Brown. He grew up in Urbana, IL and attended the University of Illinois, where he earned a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in physics. He was drafted into the US Army in 1954 and served two years at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD, where he taught Physical Science to officers and studied shock waves.
In 1956, Hugh accepted a position in high energy physics at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron, at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and worked there until his retirement in 1996. During his fifty years at the Lab, he became internationally recognized as an authority on particle beam optics and the design of particle beam lines. The AGS beams that he designed with his colleagues were instrumental in earning 3 Nobel Prizes by AGS experiments. He and his family lived abroad on two scientific exchanges, one in Moscow for six months in 1965, and one for a year in France in 1973.
He married Virginia Vaughan Hulse, of New London, CT in 1959. They had two children, Hugh Alexander and Elise Sheila. Virginia was the daughter of Robert V. Hulse and Sheila McLean, also of New London.
He treasured his home and community in Brookhaven and enjoyed many excursions sailing in Bellport Bay and visiting Old Inlet Beach on Fire Island. A committed stargazer, Hugh was always happy to set up his telescope to show family and friends the moon and stars. He most enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, as well as his sisters and their families. He was a kind and gentle man with a dry wit and was an exemplary father, grandfather, brother, and husband.
A resident of the hamlet for fifty years, Hugh was a familiar face to many on his daily walks. He had served on the Board of the Brookhaven Village Association, was a longtime supporter of the Post-Morrow Foundation, and had recently joined the Advisory Council of Carmans River Maritime Center.
Hugh was predeceased by his wife in 1992. He will live on in the hearts of his three sisters and their families, Jane Myers, of Glendale, WI, Isabel Harshbarger, of Urbana, IL, and Emily Clemons, of Mill Valley, CA; his two children, H. Alex Brown, of Waban, MA and Elise Brown of Liberty, ME; their spouses, Karen Weisgerber and Martha Piscuskas; his four grandchildren, Emma & Cate Brown, of Waban, MA and Rose Piscuskas and Seth Brown, of Liberty, ME.
Hugh Brown was buried beside his wife at Woodland Cemetery in Bellport, NY. A celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 22, at the Parish Hall of St. James Episcopal Church, 260 Beaver Dam Rd., in Brookhaven, NY.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Virginia Brown Scholarship Fund of the Brookhaven Village Association, PO Box 167, Brookhaven, NY 11719 or Partners in Health, 888 Commonwealth Avenue, 3rd Fl, Boston, MA 02215
- [S1505] , "Goodbye to Hugh Needham Brown," Fire Place: Brookhaven Village Association, Fall 2012., p. 1.
Goodbye to Hugh Needham Brown
Brookhaven bids farewell to long-time resident Hugh Brown, of Beaver Dam Road. He died at his residence on August 25.A hamlet resident for fifty years, Hugh was one of several young Brookhaven National Lab scientists to settle and raise his family in the area starting in the early 1960's.
A native of Urbana, Illinois, Hugh quickly took to the Brookhaven locale. He taught himself to sail his wooden Lightning from a book, took his family fishing off of Bellport dock or from their motorboat, and enjoyed many excursions to Old Inlet, from the days of the Old Inlet Beach Club to its present incarnation as part of Fire Island National Seashore. In 1984,Hugh and his wife, Virginia, bought the Puffin, a 23-ft. replica of the oystering workboat,the Chesapeake Skipjack. Area residents enjoyed seeing her sailing on the bay, with her raked mast and tanbark sails.
An avid astronomer, Hugh built his own telescope in the 1960's and for three decades he set it up in the front yard to gaze at the moon and stars, even as growing light pollution made it increasingly difficult. When his son gave him a new telescope with a builtin tracking device, he was able to photograph events such as the recent transit of Venus across the sun.
Hugh dearly loved Squassux Landing, even though it claimed his wedding ring one weekend day as he prepared the Lightning for a sail with his new bride. He spent many futile hours diving for the ring in Carmans River's infamous mud. Hugh also suffered the indignity of a temperamental outboard motor transmission that would occasionally only work in reverse, forcing him to drive the family home from Old Inlet backwards.
His two children, Alex and Elise, grew up to love the hamlet, its river, and bay. Many hours were spent sailing, motoring, and kayaking in every nook and cranny, as well as tromping through the marshes looking for signs of wildlife or coveted whole clay pigeons from the many skeet shooters who once practiced their marksmanship at the end of Mott Lane.
In the early 1980's Virginia became active in the Brookhaven Village Association, serving on various committees and on the board. She was especially active in landfill, water quality, and zoning issues. Upon her death in 1992, the Virginia Brown Brown Memorial scholarship was established by the BVA to support higher education for area youth who have demonstrated an interest in and commitment to the Brookhaven community and environment.
In the 1990's, Hugh took up the mantle of serving the Brookhaven community. He served as a Director of the BVA board from 1998 to 2006. Prior to his death, he had recently joined the Advisory Council of the Carmans River Maritime Center, and was a strong supporter of the Post Morrow Foundation.
Hugh was a kind and gentle man with a dry wit. Many in Brookhaven will miss seeing him on his daily walks throughout the hamlet andstopping to exchange observations on life. In his memory, the family encourages contributions to the Virginia Brown Memorial Scholarship.
- [S1506] , Brawley-McClain Family Tree 2022-01-08 (N.p.: n.p., n.d.)., Virginia Vaughan Hulse.
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1928 - 2012 (83 years)
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