J.B. Brown

J.B. Brown, 87, founder of the Brown & Toleu Court Reporting firm and a loving and dedicated husband and father, passed away on May 7, 2020 after a brief illness. J.B. was born during the Great Depression in Brooklyn, New York on October 11, 1932 to Isadore and Lena Brown. J.B. studied court reporting in New York, eventually traveling out West, first to Los Angeles and then to Phoenix in 1958 where he lived for the next six decades. In 1963, J.B. opened his own court reporting firm with business partner Gordon Toleu. Brown & Toleu Court Reporting eventually grew into a firm of more than fifteen reporters, earning a reputation for high quality reporting. He remained with the firm until his retirement in 2013, having served the Phoenix legal community for more than fifty years. J.B. was an easygoing, generous man who appreciated the simple joys of a well-prepared meal and interesting conversations with friends and family. J.B. had a real knack for numbers and was a voracious reader his entire life, enjoying historical novels, nonfiction, and the daily news. At one point in his life he trained in karate and nearly earned a black belt. He also enjoyed playing games and watching sports, particularly golf and poker. The love of J.B.’s life was Karen Cooper, a blue-eyed beauty whom he met and married in 1970. Karen and J.B. enjoyed traveling to their cabin in Flagstaff, visiting Las Vegas, and spending time with their children. In 2018, Karen unexpectedly passed away, and J.B.’s heart was never the same. Upon their marriage, J.B. and Karen became a loving, blended family, combining his four children and Karen’s daughter. Then later added another daughter to complete their family. J.B. and Karen enjoyed hosting family gatherings at their home, celebrating birthdays, Thanksgiving dinners, and family reunions. J.B. was preceded in death by his wife Karen Brown, his son Paul Brown, his brother David, and his parents. He is survived by his five daughters: Dara (Harvey) Gibson, Lisa (Scott Durfee) Brown, Robyn (Mark) Tarity, Dori (Bill) Marinakis, and Shannon Brown. J.B. was very proud of his twelve grandchildren and three great grandchildren. J.B. is also survived by his brother-in-law Blake (Denise) Cooper and sister-in-law Kathy Koehler along with nieces and nephews. We will miss him dearly. The Celebration of Life for J.B. Brown will take place on Sunday, October 11th, 2020 (His birthday) at 10:30 AM in Tempe at The Lakes. From Baseline Road, go south on Lakeshore Drive, just past the Club House on the east side of the road. You will need to park in the neighborhood off Southshore and Jolly Roger Road. The event will be outside to allow for social distancing. There will be coffee and pastries served. Please RSVP by e-mail to Dara Gibson and she will send you a map: darahome@cox.net

Richardson Funeral Home, Tempe, Arizona is compassionately serving the Brown family.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of J.B. Brown, please visit our flower store.