John Francis Brown, 38, of Charlotte, NC, surrounded by loving family and friends, was called home suddenly by our Lord on January 5th. Born in New Jersey on Jan. 11, 1971, he was brought up in Leeds, MA where he was an altar server at St. Catherines Church for many years and a graduate of Northampton High School. He held the hand of his grandmother Janet C. Brown as she walked into the arms of the Lord in 2008, and was at his Great Uncle Irven's side as he made the journey a month after his Grandmother's passing.

John was Sous-Chef at Four Moons, a 4-Diamond Restaurant, in Orangeburg, SC. Johns passion for cooking was cultivated at the worlds premier culinary college, Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park, NY. He studied and became proficient in the fine art of French Cuisine. Early in his career, John served as Pastry Assistant at Chillingsworth, the Four Star Fine French Dining Restaurant in Brewster, MA and at the famed Cottage St. Bakery in Orleans, MA. His interest in food started while working in restaurants in Northampton, MA most notably Sylvesters and Eastside Grill. He became immersed in the beauty of Italian cooking by studying Italian chefs and working with the owners of Salute Ristorante, rated the Best Italian Restaurant in Charlotte, NC, where he served as Executive Chef. He loved cooking for family and friends and prepared magnificent and memorable meals considered once-in-a-lifetime feasts. He developed his clean and organized style of food preparation by working at restaurants in the Charlotte, NC area: Carmel County Club, Zios and Gado Gado. He made great friends at each and continually developed his skills in the art of cooking foods to the highest standards.

John read volumes of cookbooks with a focus on gourmet cuisine. He produced an impressive collection of modified recipes to make them uniquely his own. He outlined simple methods to provide an educational and enjoyable cooking experience . He flavored the recipes with a history of the region, where a particular dish originated, and also gave insight on the key ingredients. Chefs in the Charlotte area have expressed their admiration of Johns timeless collection of recipes, and anyone reading them will feel the love he had for cooking and be inspired to make these recipes their own favorites.

In addition to Johns interest in great food, he was an avid skateboarder. He loved literature by the formidable poets and authors and had the greatest respect for the work of Robert Frost. He was always willing to share recommendations for books to read, music to hear and movies to watch. A music enthusiast, John was a gifted singer, songwriter and organizer who loved performing with his band Spoke in the New England area and producing vinyl records for distribution. He was an artist and creator of electronic music and his Proof of the Shooting work is sold worldwide on the Sound Probe Recordings label.

Johns cousin, Hope, expressed the familys sentiments about John very eloquently, Words alone will not do any justice to the type of man John was. He had a special and different connection with everyone who knew him. He was funny, but not cruel. Smart, but not pretentious, and hugely talented without conceit. And, of course, like all the Browns, extremely charming. He was known and respected for his intelligence, strength of character, loyalty, dedication and ethics. John loved what he did for a living and was proud of the fact that what he was so good at, made us so happy. John had a generous spirit and saw the good in everyone. He loved his family and was never afraid to tell you how much you meant to him. More than anything, John loved his mother and would be so happy to see, not only the outpouring of love for him, but the continued love and support we show his mother. Well miss you John and youll be forever in our hearts. John is survived by his mother Mary and stepfather, Bill Cox of Hillsville, VA and his many friends and family members including aunts, uncles and cousins.

The family received friends on Friday, January 8th at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Woodlawn, VA. The funeral Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Josephs on Saturday, January 9th with Father Charles W. Brickner as celebrant. Interment will be at the Wilkinson Memorial Cemetary in Hillsville, Virginia. There was a gathering in Johns honor at Gado Gado Restaurant in Matthew, NC on Sunday, January 17th.