We regret to advise the death of Superintendent Donald Neil “Don” Brown (Ret’d) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on 16 May 2009 in Burnaby BC.
Born in Birmingham, England in 1919, he immigrated to Winnipeg, MB at the age of three where he lived until the start of WWII when he joined 12th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers. He saw action in Italy and attained the rank of Sergeant Major.
A year after demobilization, Don re-enlisting as a second lieutenant in Chilliwack, but left the Army in 1947 to join the British Columbia Provincial Police, which eventually amalgamated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He served in Burnaby, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Vancouver - 22 of those years in forensic laboratories. After a 26 year career with the RCMP, he retired as the Officer-in-Charge of Vancouver Crime Detection Laboratory with the rank of Superintendent. He authored the book: "Your Questions - But My Answers: The Scientific Examination of Questioned Documents". In 2007 the RCMP named its Edmonds, Burnaby, BC Community Policing Office after him.
Don served on the Burnaby School Board for two years, the Burnaby Council for six years, the Burnaby Parks and Recreation Commission for 10 years, President of the College for the Retired for nine years and was Chairman of the Burnaby Centennial Committee. In 1992 he was awarded the Burnaby Citizen of the Year Award and in 1993, a Freeman of Burnaby. At age 81, Don wrote a book on the history of the former B.C. Provincial Police Force.
A Celebration of Life will be held on 5 June at The Bill Copeland Sports Centre, 3676 Kensington Ave., Burnaby.