Bernard 'Bernie' Brown
November 4, 1940 — December 26, 2023
Bernard “Bernie” Brown, 83, of Swisher, Iowa, died Tuesday, December 26, 2023, after his final health battle with cancer. He passed at his home with his family by his side. A visitation will be held from noon to 1:15 PM on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A funeral service will follow at 1:30, with a reception immediately after, all at the funeral home. On Monday, January 8, 2023, Bernie will be laid to rest at the Old Loogootee Cemetery, Loogootee, Illinois.
Bernie was born November 4, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Hazzard and Hilda (Cooper) Brown. He graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1959, where he earned Second Team All State football honors as a 145-pound guard. Before obtaining his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Illinois State University, he served in the United States Navy from 1963 to 1965 on the U.S.S. Everglades. After college, he worked as a junior high school teacher and coach in Rochester, Illinois. Bernie was married to Nancy (Dorr) Brown for 56 years, having been united in marriage on March 19, 1967, in Vandalia, Illinois. In 1970, Bernie entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation and worked as a special agent for 23 years until his retirement in 1994. During his tenure as an F.B.I. agent, he served in field offices in Mississippi, Texas, New York and Iowa, including as the Senior Resident Agent in Lubbock, Texas, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Over his career, criminal convictions resulted from his investigations into civil rights crimes, motorcycle gang activity, organized crime, white supremacist terrorism and foreign espionage.
Bernie enjoyed following Iowa Hawkeye athletics and was most at peace on his farm in Swisher where he enjoyed spending time with his family and many faithful giant schnauzer companions. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Brown of Swisher; son, David (Katie) Brown of Norwalk, Iowa; and his pride and joy grandchildren, Ben and Jack Brown of Norwalk.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Hazzard Lyle and Hilda May Brown; and sister, Beverly Brown.
A memorial fund in Bernie’s name has been established and may be directed to the family.
Bernie was born November 4, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Hazzard and Hilda (Cooper) Brown. He graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1959, where he earned Second Team All State football honors as a 145-pound guard. Before obtaining his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Illinois State University, he served in the United States Navy from 1963 to 1965 on the U.S.S. Everglades. After college, he worked as a junior high school teacher and coach in Rochester, Illinois. Bernie was married to Nancy (Dorr) Brown for 56 years, having been united in marriage on March 19, 1967, in Vandalia, Illinois. In 1970, Bernie entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation and worked as a special agent for 23 years until his retirement in 1994. During his tenure as an F.B.I. agent, he served in field offices in Mississippi, Texas, New York and Iowa, including as the Senior Resident Agent in Lubbock, Texas, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Over his career, criminal convictions resulted from his investigations into civil rights crimes, motorcycle gang activity, organized crime, white supremacist terrorism and foreign espionage.
Bernie enjoyed following Iowa Hawkeye athletics and was most at peace on his farm in Swisher where he enjoyed spending time with his family and many faithful giant schnauzer companions. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Brown of Swisher; son, David (Katie) Brown of Norwalk, Iowa; and his pride and joy grandchildren, Ben and Jack Brown of Norwalk.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Hazzard Lyle and Hilda May Brown; and sister, Beverly Brown.
A memorial fund in Bernie’s name has been established and may be directed to the family.
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