Dr. Albert Neir Brown
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Dr. Albert Neir Brown, age 105, of Pinckneyville, Ill., formerly of Hollywood, Calif., passed away on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011 at 10:04 a.m. in Friendship Manor Health Care, Nashville, Ill. after a long and eventful life.
Albert was born on Oct. 26, 1905 in North Platte, Neb., a son to Albert "Bert" and Ida (Neir) Brown. After his father was killed in a train engine explosion, his mother married Howard H. Graham and the family moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa. He excelled in sports in high school and became involved in ROTC. On April 15, 1925, he secretly wed his high school sweetheart, Helen Johnson in Logan, Iowa and she preceded him in death on July 19, 1985. He graduated from Creighton University School of Dentistry where he continued his athletic career on the football and basketball teams and his ROTC involvement. He became a First Lieutenant in the reserves. He established a dental practice and a family with his wife Helen. He became a licensed pilot. Albert was called to active military duty with a medical regiment in October 1940. By early 1941, he was deployed to the Philippines where Clark Field was destroyed a few hours after Pearl Harbor was attacked. This is where Albert and thousands of other American soldiers began a journey through hell. Albert survived the infamous Bataan Death March and over three years as a Japanese prisoner of war. At the time of his death he was the oldest living survivor of the Bataan Death March. He is also listed as the oldest living WW II veteran. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Philippine Defense Ribbon with one star, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American Defense Ribbon with one star, the American Theater Ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon and the WWII Victory Medal. Upon his release, he was treated for three years at Fitzsimons Hospital in Denver. He then moved to Hollywood, Calif. where his sister and brother-in-law were involved in show business. He became an active member of the Hollywood YMCA and an avid handball player. In 1993 Albert moved to Pinckneyville, Ill. where he made his home with his daughter. Albert was a member of the Presswood-Daffron American Legion Post #2504, a former member of the Eagles, Pinckneyville, Ill. and the American Dental Association. He was a family friend of Buffalo Bill Cody.
Albert is survived by his daughter, Margaret "Peg" Doughty of Pinckneyville, Ill.; his son, Robert G. (Ann) Brown of The Dalles, Ore.; daughter-in-law, Dr. Emma Limon Brown of Mexico City, Mexico; 12 grandchildren, Susan (Wilbur) Engelhardt of Pinckneyville, Ill., Mike (Norma) Doughty of Dallas, Tex., Sean (Christine) Patrick of Nashville, Tenn., Sara Brown (Eduardo) Sanchez of Mexicali, Mexico, Dr. Albert (Sol) Brown of Mexico City, Mexico, Fernando (Layla) Brown of Morning Sun, Iowa, Chris (Karl) Borg of Hillsboro, Ore., Robert F. (Dorene) Brown of The Dalles, Ore., Mike (Julie) Brown of Burns, Ore., Kathryn (David) McBride of The Dalles, Ore., Kim (Joe) Snyder of The Dalles, Ore., and Deanne Saldivar of The Dalles, Ore.; 28 great-grandchildren and 19 great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; two sisters; one brother; his son, Dr. Albert N. "Sonny" Brown II and his son-in-law, Dr. Al Doughty.
Funeral services were held at Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, Ill. on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. with Brother Rob Mathis officiating. Military rites were provided by Presswood-Daffron American Legion Post #2504.
Friends called at Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, Ill. on Friday from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Memorials may be made to Wounded Warrior Project.
For more information or to sign an online guest register, please visit www.pyattfuneralhome.com.