Obituary of Thomas H. Brown Jr

Thomas Harry Brown, 84, died peacefully on Saturday March 7, 2026. He was born in Philadelphia, Pa. A lifelong resident of New Jersey and recently Florida, he graduated from Merchantville High School and Maryland University. He holds a doctorate from New York University. Prior to his retirement Tom served in a variety of academic and administrative posts at Cumberland College in Vineland, NJ and as vice president for instruction at Mohawk Valley College in Utica, NJ. In 1990 he became the seventh president of Union County College in Cranford, NJ. He believed that community colleges were an essential link between secondary schools and four-year learning institutions and that cooperation not competition among schools was essential because broad goals of education are interdependent and intertwined. Tom developed several "outreach" programs for Federal, State, and local institutions in New York and New Jersey. Dr. Brown is the author of a book "George Sewall Boutwell: Human Rights Advocate". He served as president of U.C.C for twenty-one years. Colleagues and friends remember him for his personable style and warm sense of humor. He is survived by his wife Tressa (Trucano) Brown; three sisters and three brothers-in-law Suzy and Greg Chenail, Anna Clare and James McKee, and Charlotte and Frank Slack; daughter Kelli Martinez; son Ryan and daughter-in-law Erika; daughter-in-law Sue Brown; two step daughters and two sons-in-law, Jessica and David Kalbach and Maura and Gordon Vail; eight grandchildren; Savannah, Tyler, Alaina, Brandan, Logan, Emily, Carlos and Anderson. Tom is predeceased by his son Timothy and his parents Alfred and Eleanor Brown. A church visitation will be held on Saturday, March 14th from 11am to 12pm at Christ the Good Shephard Parish-Church of St. Isidore the Farmer,1655 Magnolia Road, Vineland followed by a funeral mass at noon. Inurnment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Vineland, NJ In lieu of flowers, please make online gifts in Memory of Tom to: Dementia Society of America www.DementiaSociety.org/donate. ARRANGEMENTS are under the supervision of Rone Funeral Service, 1110 East Chestnut Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360 To send online condolences please visit our website at www.RONEFUNERALSERVICE.com