Donald Walter Brown, 87, of La Cañada Flintridge, passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, Dec. 6, at his home. Don was born in Bergen County, New Jersey in 1929 to Walter and Elizabeth (Egan) Brown. He was the oldest of three children. He graduated from Pennington School in 1947, where he was a dedicated and successful athlete, and went on to graduate with a civil engineering degree from Colorado State A&M in 1956, following his service in the U.S. Army.
Don began his long career as a civil engineer with the County of Los Angeles in the late 1950’s, when infrastructure development for the booming area was at its prime. He was responsible for the design of many of the bridges and roads that connected main arteries in the Los Angeles area. He retired after 36 years of service with the county as head of the Subdivision Construction Division. Don was a consummate athlete and outdoorsman. He loved biking, squash, tennis, skiing and backpacking in the nearby Sierra Nevada, in addition to being an avid fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Don also spent 15 years serving as a referee for the AYSO program. He was well-known and loved by many in his community of La Cañada Flintridge, where he resided for 52 years, and was known for his kind heart and generosity toward individuals and organizations in need, including the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, La Cañada Beautiful, Descanso Gardens and many more.
Don is survived by his three loving children, Stacy (Fondiller), Mark Brown and Rebecca (Brown-Dana), five grandsons, his sister Carol Pedersen and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held in the spring to honor Don. Donations may be made to Hospice Home Health Care of Adventist Health in Glendale
