John Robert Brown Jr.

John Robert Brown Jr. 85 of West Des Moines, Iowa passed away on March 2, 2021 John was born on October 28th, 1935 to John Robert Brown Sr. and Ethel (Hagen) Brown in Farrar, Iowa. He attended Farrar Elementary School and graduated from Dowling Catholic High School in 1954. John graduated from Drake University in 1965 earning a degree in Chemistry. In his early years the family had an airplane on the farm and John learned how to fly as a teenager. Flying became one of his lifelong passions. After high school John enlisted in the United States Air Force and graduated from flight school in 1957. Upon returning home, John joined the Iowa Air National Guard and retired from the Air Force in 1975. His family owned and operated Altoona Flying Service, Boone Municipal Airport, and Dodge Field across from Camp Dodge in Johnston. They ultimately opened Iowa Aviation with Cessna Aircraft in 1970 at the Des Moines Airport. Throughout his career in aviation John logged over 20,000 hours of flying with the US Air Force, the State of Iowa as Governor Robert D. Ray's personal pilot and other private companies. No one had a better reputation as a pilot then John. Growing up working on the family farm and embracing the military’s training John was very detail-oriented. John was always seeking precision and mastery of every task or project. He was also an entrepreneur at heart later owning Brown Motor Company in Perry, Iowa, and continued to buy and sell cars throughout the years. John had an unwavering faith and was devoted to the Catholic church. He openly shared his faith with his family. He was a loving father of three children and seven grandchildren. He took pride in every stage of the kids’ development capturing professional-like photographs of all major events. His favorite family activities were skiing in Colorado and fishing in Ontario, Canada. He remained healthy and active over the years finding pleasure in a wide variety of interests. His children recall many fond memories of riding dirt bikes on the farm, riding horses, golfing, Sailing, playing basketball, or even learning how to sharpen the blade on the lawn mower. A visitation will be held at the Basilica of St. John’s in Des Moines from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Thursday March 4, 2021. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00a.m. Friday, March 5, 2021 at the Basilica of St. Johns. Burial will follow the mass at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Fraar. John was preceded in death by his mother and father, brother Jerry, sister Nancy and sister Ruth Ann. John is survived by his Son, John III (Nancy), and their children, Andrew and Jason; Daughter, Kathie Reis (Rod) and their children George and Abby; Son Matthew (Katy), and their children Turner, Anita and Griffin; Siblings Mary (John) Pezzitti, Tom (Sharon) Brown and Jeanne (Randy) King. Along with many cousins, nieces, and nephews.