Robert Miller Brown

2/25/1957 - 5/20/2025

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Obituary For Robert Miller Brown

Robert Miller Brown passed away suddenly on May 20, 2025 in St. Louis, MO. Bob was the beloved husband of Julia Fitch Brown, cherished father of Meredith (Brown) Noto and Carol Brown, treasured father-in-law of AJ Noto, and proud grandfather of Clark Miller Noto. He was born on February 25, 1957 in Pittsburgh, PA to Robert Miller Brown, Sr and Thelma Bock Brown. Bob was predeceased by his parents and his in-laws, Coy and Rachel Fitch. He is also survived by his dear cousins, Amy (Philip) Koloski, Richard (Sharon) Woll, and Peter (Catherine) Woll, who were like siblings to him. Bob treasured the friendship that he had with his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jaquelyn and James Fleckenstein, as well.

Bob and Julia met at Dartmouth College, attended graduate school together in Austin, TX and married on May 30, 1982. They were grateful to be married for more than forty-two years; theirs was a long-term partnership of support and encouragement as they navigated the joys and challenges of a full life. Bob and Julia relished spending quiet time together, for more than forty years starting each day with coffee and a “preview” of the expected events of the day. They enjoyed this ritual through their final day together.

More importantly, Bob loved freely and unconditionally, encouraging first Julia and subsequently his daughters to use their talents to be their best version of themselves. In the process, Bob adored learning about the interests of his family and rejoiced in each of their new accomplishments. He read Chekhov and Shakespeare to prepare for trips to see Carol’s plays and watched many seasons of Grey’s Anatomy so that he could fully appreciate watching the first episode she penned as a professional television writer. When Meredith was in Belize or South Africa, observing and tracking monkeys, he was studying Robert Sapolsky so that he could share in the exploration of animal behavior. Likewise, he took off on a seventeen-mile trek with Julia during marathon training (and was never so happy to get home!). His family always felt loved and supported in whatever piqued their interest.

Bob and Julia vacationed with their family every Fall, usually focusing on National Parks and extended hikes. Bob was excited to welcome Clark into the family in July, 2024. As “Grobbie,” he was excitedly making plans for all the places that he could explore with Clark. Over the years, the Brown family had special trips to Glacier, Zion, Bryce Canyon and Yellowstone Parks, Santa Fe and Abiquiu, NM (many times!). Bob was always game for a travel adventure, whether it was to Minnesota’s North Shore or foreign destinations.

Recently, Bob dedicated his time to maintaining his fitness so that he could age gracefully. He ran several times per week, swam whenever he could and celebrated a good bike ride. He read fitness articles daily and devised a forty-five-minute routine with weights and bands, complete with skipping drills. No breakfast could be consumed until he had finished his daily workout. His dedication to sports began early as he played baseball as a youngster (with his father as coach), swam in college, and threw himself fully into coaching his daughters in softball, soccer, and swimming. Bob remained a loyal fan of Pittsburgh sports—Steelers, Pirates, and Pitt Panthers, even as work moved him around the country.

Bob was a lifelong dog lover, appreciating the unique personalities and quirks of each, and frequently celebrated them in impromptu song. He will be missed by his most recent canine companions, Owney Juan Spumoni and Hazel Georgina.

Bob very proudly worked in public accounting for forty-two years, starting with Arthur Andersen in Dallas and ending with Forvis Mazars in St. Louis. He also worked for an extended period for Alpern Rosenthal/BDO in Pittsburgh. His area of expertise was International Tax; he never tired of learning new ways to help his clients. He enjoyed the intellectual challenge and the relationships that he developed in his practice and was still employed at the time of his death. Bob's greatest pleasure over the course of his career was developing and encouraging those with whom he worked.

Bob graduated from Pittsburgh’s Upper St. Clair HS in 1975 and Dartmouth College in 1979, where he majored in Economics and studied in France. Bob earned JD and MBA degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and became a CPA in 1983.

A Celebration of Life will held at the Saint Louis Woman’s Club, 4600 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108 on Friday, June 20 at 4 pm.

Bob spent many pleasurable hours listening to public radio and, in lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations to the NPR Foundation, 1111 N Capital St NE, Washington, DC 20002-7502, or to a charity of your choice.

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Condolences

  • 06/19/2025

    Joshua Zellerman

    My deepest condolences to Bob's family. I worked with Bob for several years. He was my coach, mentor and dear friend. He helped me both personally and professionally and was always there to help me navigate both! Bob, you will be missed!

  • 06/13/2025

    Mike murray

    I spoke to Bob on the street corner in front of our house right before he passed away. He was doing one of his many fitness hikes thru the neighborhood and I kidded him about the stretching exercises he did daily. Then, he told me about his medical condition. Because he was his usual friendly, and very lucid self, I had trouble processing some of what he was telling me, until I learned from Julia within days that Bob passed away. We discussed the toll the loss of a loving and supportive spouse can have on a person while memories of a lengthy marriage aid the bereavement process. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Take care, Mike Murray

  • 06/09/2025

    Sally Skillen

    Dear Julia, Meredith and Carol and family, My deepest condolences on Bob's passing. The years we were neighbors in Mt. Lebanon were filled with many fond memories. You are in my prayers as you mourn. It is my prayer that fond memories of Bob will bring you comfort. Sincerely, Sally Skillen

  • 06/08/2025

    Mary Rumy

    Dear Julia, so very sorry Bob passed away. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

  • 05/29/2025

    George G Montag

    Bob and I connected over our shared interests in economics, politics, and sports, and I thoroughly enjoyed our frequent chats about the happenings of the day/week. It was a true joy to work near him, and he will certainly be missed. Rest in peace, Bob.

  • 05/29/2025

    John Mather

    I am honored to have been able to know Bob and get to work with him. He always had a warm welcome and a smile on his face. Bob was the type of person others should strive to be more like. My prayers are with Bob and the family. He will be greatly missed.

  • 05/29/2025

    Rebecca Lodovico

    I'm so sorry to hear about Bob's passing. He was one of the most influential people in my career. He was so great in his specialty, and gave his time so freely to help develop those of us who were still learning. He gave me some of the best advice I've ever received about prioritizing life and determining what success looks like on your own terms. I will never forget the many times I would see him walking outside at lunch smiling and enjoying the sunshine. I feel so lucky to have shared time with him, and I wanted to offer my deepest condolences.

  • 05/28/2025

    Cara Cygan Deighan

    To the family of Bob: my deepest condolences. I'm so sorry to hear of Bob's passing. He was one of the nicest and smartest people I've ever worked with. He was such a great character, mentor, and family man. He spoke so highly and was so proud of his family. I truly enjoyed working with Bob. He was such a charming, bright light. I hope in the days, weeks and months ahead, you have the opportunity to grieve, process and heal from this tragedy. My deepest condolences.

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