Courtney Parmly Brown Jr.

Courtney Parmly Brown Jr., 86, passed away peacefully on December 19, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family.

Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Courtney spent a brief period of his childhood in Florida while his father served, but he always said he truly grew up in Jamesburg, NJ, at Brown’s Corner, where he and his sisters lived across the street from their cousins, and grandparents. Those early years — filled with family, his horse Babs and his dog Sargent, — shaped the values he carried throughout his life.

Courtney was the beloved husband of 61 years of Joan Leuschner Brown of Dunellen, NJ. Together, they built a life anchored in love, partnership, and adventure — one that brought them across states and around the world and eventually back home to Brown’s Corner, where they built a house at the end of his career and found themselves once again surrounded by family, just as he had been as a boy.

He is survived by his sister Louine King and was the devoted father of Courtney Parmly Brown III, partner Teri Lemilin, and Heather Brown Kainer, husband John Kainer. He was the cherished grandfather of Alex Kainer, Evan Kainer, Gwendolyn Brown, and Hudson Brown, and the proud great-grandfather of Luke Kainer. Nothing brought him more joy than attending events of his grandchildren.

A civil engineer, Courtney began his career at Rutgers University, working alongside his father during the major campus expansion of the 1960s. He later joined the architectural firm Diel and Stein before finding his long-term professional home with General Electric, whose projects led him and his family on a journey of moves around the world and across the country. His work reflected his meticulous mind, compassion for others, and the pride he took in creating things that would last.

Outside of his career, Courtney had many passions. He loved sailing, walking — especially in the woods, gardening, putting up tomato juice, traveling and most of all, being with his family. He was known for his warm laugh, his talent for storytelling, breaking out in song randomly, and his willingness to get out on the dance floor for a song or two.

Courtney’s life was defined by love, humor, curiosity, and a deep sense of home — traits that will continue to live on in the generations he leaves behind. He will be remembered with immeasurable affection and deeply missed by all who knew him. The family would like to thank the staff of Sunnyside Manor for their compassionate care over the past year. They navigated us, laughed with us and allowed us to remain his children and grandchildren.

Services are entrusted to Jersey Shore Cremation Service, 43 Taylor Avenue, Manasquan, NJ - JerseyShoreCremation.com